I attempted to submit this to a New York Times photo contest about a “culturally significant” trip you’ve been on…but for some reason it wouldn’t actually submit properly - either something I did or something wrong with their system. Anyway, thought I would post it here, since I worked on it.
In February 2011, I visited St. Bernard Parish in New Orleans, Louisiana. The community was utterly devastated when Hurricane Katrina struck in 2005, flooded with up to twelve feet of water. Although it has come a long way since then, the Parish is still rebuilding. There remains a great deal of evidence of the disaster: spray paint left by search squads, concrete slabs where homes used to be, seashells planted in the dirt from when the water rose. For me, seeing this deserted K-Mart drove home the lingering realities of the damage. Although Hurricane Katrina altered hundreds of thousands of lives, the people’s resilience and enduring spirit are what stick in my memory the most.
