Vizcaya Museum and Gardens in Miami got a bad beating from Wilma. In spite of hurricane shutters windows blew open in some of the historic rooms. Most of them are more or less fine, but in one room everything got soaking wet or sprayed with salt water (we are right on Biscayne Bay.) In spite of flood doors we got 4 feet of water in the basement, which houses the café, gift shop, storage (not for collections!). Everything there is trashed. After 3 1/2 days we pretty much got all the standing water and soaked supplies and merchandise out of there. This has been one of our major concerns, because we fear mold growth when/if the weather changes. We do have electricity from a generator, but the a/c system is broken. So far we have had unusually cool weather - thank goodness!! The hammock got stripped some more, the canopee has gotten thinner, a bunch of large trees being downed. Trees fell on two historic structures. In the formal gardens a number of statues were damaged. The Stone Barge in the bay got badly damaged. 
The homes of most employees are without electricity. It seems there is still a curfew in Miami-Dade County. It is hard to come by gasoline.

Considering what other areas (i.e. Louisiana and Mississippi) have experienced following Katrina, things are not that bad. However, as we continue to assess damage and clean up, it becomes all the more clear that recovery will take quite a while.



-----Original Message-----
From: Museum discussion list [mailto:[log in to unmask]] 
Sent: Tuesday, October 25, 2005 4:20 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Ok, I'll Say It: Florida!

Have we any word as yet regarding damage to any of the
cultural institutions in the wake of yesterday's havoc
wrought by Wilma?

Indigo Nights
[log in to unmask]

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