U.S. Gulf Coast — Hurricane Katrina Brings Waves of Destruction to U.S. Gulf Coast
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Taking Bearings [Column excerpt]
K. Lee Lerner
Fairhope, Alabama — Under mandatory evacuations, I sent Brenda and Ellie, the last child left at home, to Texas for both Hurricanes Ivan (2004) and Katrina (2005).
Ivan scored a direct hit, the eye passed right over Sibley. Katrina devastated the Mississippi coast and caused the levee breach that flooded New Orleans, but located in the northeast quadrant of Katrina, Mobile Bay and the Gulf Coast to Pensacola also suffered severe damage.
I weathered both storms on Bella until they moved into Cat 2 levels. Eventually, flooding over the docks made staying aboard needlessly risky. Skill setting lines can get a sailor though a Cat 1 or Cat 2 storm, but once a storm reaches Cat 3, survival increasingly depends more on luck than skill. A skipper can do everything right and lose the boat.
Atop the bluff, Sibley was immune to flooding. The very large trees surrounding the house provide some wind protection, but they also pose their own perils.
I also had to service an array of pets that could not be evacuated elsewhere.
Most boats not anchored out in the Bay were lost. Many of those anchored out were also lost and/or sustained substantial damage.
Power was out for weeks with Ivan and about a week with Katrina.
Until the National Guard found its footing, resources after Katrina were justifiably concentrated on Mississippi and New Orleans. Accordingly, it was time to fire up the motorcycle, strap a pistol to my hip, and help out wherever needed.
During both storms, I did on air-interviews for a number of news outlets, including the BBC. A number of the photos shown here appeared on news sites as part of coverage packages, etc.
That work extended into coverage of rescue and relief efforts in Mississippi and New Orleans over coming weeks.
After the storm subsided, I also went west into Mississippi with a team delivering antibiotics and other supplies.
It was, however, initially much more of a personal experience than a professional assignment (though work on several books carried on with only minimal interruptions).
Following Katrina, media attention focused on New Orleans — it was a story easier and cheaper to cover, and sadly also a story easier to spin and politicize.
In contrast, the people of Mississippi who felt the brunt of the storm’s fury — a blow that included a 30-foot storm surge– just resolutely and quietly went about creating hundreds of good stories exemplifying bravery, endurance, self-reliance, and resilience.
Katrina devastated the Mississippi coast and caused the levee breach that flooded New Orleans, but located in the northeast quadrant of Katrina, Mobile Bay and the Gulf Coast to Pensacola also suffered severe damage.
I weathered both storms at Sibley with an array of pets that could not be evacuated. Most boats not anchored out were lost. Power was out for weeks with Ivan and about a week with Katrina. Until the National Guard found its footing — resources after Katrina were justifiably concentrated on Mississippi and New Orleans — it was time to fire up the motorcycle, strap a pistol to my hip, and help out wherever needed.
Content and photo: Hurricane Katrina slams the U.S. Gulf Coast. August 2005 © K. Lee Lerner / LMG. All commercial rights reserved
Related Photos:
The first surge from Hurricane Katrina along Mobile Bay in 2005 Within three minutes, the spot from which I took the picture was under about four feet of fast moving water. Photo: Hurricane Katrina slams the U.S. Gulf Coast. Taking Bearings. Harvard Blogs. August 2005 © K. Lee Lerner / LMG. All commercial rights reserved
I tried to get as close as possible to the incoming waves. It was important to stay mobile and so I used my motorcycle to avoid roadblocks created by fallen trees. Photo: Hurricane Katrina slams the U.S. Gulf Coast. Taking Bearings. Harvard Blogs. August 2005 © K. Lee Lerner / LMG. All commercial rights reserved
A spit at the base of the Seacliff bluff allowed me to wade out about thigh deep to capture this shot. That depth was short-lived and within one set of waves the water was up to my chest. A hasty retreat in order. Photo: Hurricane Katrina slams the U.S. Gulf Coast. Taking Bearings. Harvard Blogs. August 2005 © K. Lee Lerner / LMG. All commercial rights reserved
High on the bluff, Sibley suffered only downed trees, power loss, and moderate wind damage, but those below the bluff were flooded by Katrina’s storm surge. Photo: Hurricane Katrina slams the U.S. Gulf Coast. Taking Bearings. Harvard Blogs. August 2005 © K. Lee Lerner / LMG. All commercial rights reserved
Katrina brought misery in the form of downed trees, power loss, and wind damage,— Photo: Hurricane Katrina slams the U.S. Gulf Coast. Taking Bearings. Harvard Blogs. August 2005 © K. Lee Lerner / LMG. All commercial rights reserved
Lee Lerner’s portfolio covering science and global issues includes multiple RUSA Book and Media Awards, books named Outstanding Academic Titles, and two global circumnavigations. He serves as an advisor, editor, and contributor to respected international news and academic resources.
Additional information and selected writings are available at scholar.harvard.edu/kleelerner and via harvard.academia.edu/kleelerner
Photo Credits: All Photos by K Lee Lerner ©LMG All commercial rights reserved.
Profile Photo: K. Lee Lerner. Maasai Mara, Kenya. June 2012. ©LMG.
©LMG. All commercial rights reserved.
