We were lucky. Yes, we were trapped in our home for two days due to flood waters from Hurricane Barry. But that could be prevented if the city would fix the low dipping stretch in the only way out for us, and the 3 other families who live in homes back here, as well as the several individuals and families who make their homes full time on boats on the Bayou. When Lake Pontchartrain rises, it pushes water into Bayou Castine, which overflows.
For Hurricane Barry, in my Parish, St. Tammany, we were under a Tropical Storm Warning, but the flooding, not rain or wind, was the issue for us. In these photographs, I try to tell the story of the before and after affects of extreme weather when living on a wetlands. Without extreme weather conditions, it is a beautiful Marina. On the other shore, past the access road intersection there are beautiful condos. Collage #1 is of those condos, and my home, taken from that shore, across the water, in excellent sunny weather. However, as you can seeing during Hurricane Barry, Bayou Castine flooded, and caused quite a different picture. Collages #2 and #3 are comparison photos of the same areas, prior to Hurricane Barry, and after the flooding. All the other photos I took in front of my home, and are the direct result of Hurricane Barry.
I also made a short video of the affects of Hurricane Barry, which includes some young men in these dangerous conditions, actually driving sea-doos from Lake Pontchartrain, on what would have been my street but was engulfed by the bayou, and up under my neighbor’s home.
Today, it is raining, but the flood waters are receding, and we remain safe.
