Rice’s Harvey Memories Project now collecting community storm stories across Houston

The Harvey Memories Project (HMP) at Rice has hit the ground running.

After launching the digital archive last month, the HMP team held its first community outreach event Aug. 17 in Kashmere Gardens to gather photos, videos and all things digital related to Hurricane Harvey. Along with the Houston Public Library, the HMP co-hosted a panel discussion, catered lunch and ran story-collection stations at the Kashmere Multi-Service Center as community members came to share their memories of the hurricane that left their neighborhood paralyzed long after the rest of the city resumed business as usual.

The McCrane-Kashmere Gardens Neighborhood Library took on so much water it may never reopen. A temporary mini-library occupies a space in the Kashmere Multi-Service Center across from an auditorium where residents gathered over plates of chicken and green beans.

“The mission of the HMP is to collect and share and, most importantly, to preserve peoples’ memories of their experience during Hurricane Harvey,” said Caleb McDaniel, associate professor of history and one of the many Rice collaborators on the project. “What we want to do is make sure that all the perspectives on this storm are heard so that future generations, when they look back on this event, will have a better understanding of what communities went through.”

Keith Downey, president of Kashmere Gardens’ Super Neighborhood 52, turned out to make his voice heard — and to encourage his neighbors to do the same.

Lisa Spiro, left, listens as Ken Downey shares his own experience during Hurricane Harvey. (Photo by Jeff Fitlow)

“We need to hear those stories, we need see those photos, we need to hear that audio for generations to come,” Downey said. “It’s very important that we take the time to archive our stories. We see stories from other communities, but what about us?”

The event in Kashmere Gardens marked the team’s first foray into the community to collect these memories from Houstonians themselves, but it won’t be the last. Up next is another event in collaboration with the Houston Public Library: “One Year After the Storm: Recording and Documention Your Harvey Story” will take place Aug. 25 from noon to 4 p.m. at Katherine Tyra Bear Creek Branch Library near Katy.

The HMP is also co-hosting a storytelling concert Aug. 26 from 6 to 8 p.m. at Tom Bass Park in Pearland. “Flooded, Rescued, Resilient: Stories of Strength and Heroism Told by the Houstonians Who Lived Them,” emceed by Space City Weather’s Eric Berger, will bring together a group of storm survivors who will share their Harvey experiences. During the concert, Berger will tell the “story of the storm” as he introduces storytellers who will relate their personal struggles with Harvey and its aftermath.

Caleb McDaniel listens to Kashmere Gardens community members share their memories of Harvey’s aftermath. (Photo by Jeff Fitlow)

“In the humanities, we’re fundamentally concerned with story and understanding peoples’ experiences as expressed through different media so that scholars can come in and study these stories and understand the breadth of experience,” said Lisa Spiro, executive director of digital scholarship services for Rice’s Fondren Library.

“We hope that through telling their stories, members of the community can participate in a healing process and feel like their voices are being heard.”

For more on the Harvey Memories Project, visit https://harveymemories.org.