Photojournalist shares experience and photos of Hurricane Katrina

by Steve Coleman
After Katrina Newswire

HATTIESBURG — Having been a photojournalist for over 25 years, I have covered numerous natural disasters in the Pine Belt area.  I covered hurricanes from the ground (7 hurricanes) and in the air (one, Hurricane Kate) with the Hurricane Hunters. The experience of Hurricane Katrina was covered from a different perspective for me. I never had damage to my house before August 29, 2005 from a hurricane, tornado or fire. Covering shelters and damaged areas in the past was photographing others who evacuated or attempted to salvage contents in their damaged homes. The photographs of damaged houses now included my own home.

I was now a victim along with trying to cover this historical hurricane.  Our home was damaged by two large pine trees pushed over by the category three winds hitting Hattiesburg.  The first tree came through the south end of the house around 11 a.m., five minutes after I had checked the attic in the same area. The other tree fell around 2 p.m. on the north end of the house taking out the master bedroom. I will always remember the sound of breaking glass and wood as the tree came through the roof. My wife, Dianne, and I watched helplessly as the rain poured into the rooms knowing there was nothing we could do to stop the damage. She was worried with the high winds that the entire roof would come off since we had two large holes at each end of the house. You learn to pray a lot when you are lying in a small hall bathroom.

After the storm subsided we were able to salvage most of the contents before water ruined it. As the roads became clear I knew that the photojournalism side of me would kick in and begin finding ways to document the devastation.  The one thing that stayed active in the house was the telephone. Nothing else worked, but I was able to contact several people to get information.

I spent a lot of time volunteering for the American Red Cross, and I knew they were going to need all the help they could get. I began documenting damage and the main shelter they were maintaining at the multipurpose center. The national headquarters sent writers to the area so I was able to photograph images for the national office, as well as the Associated Press.  I spent the next two weeks photographing their new home at the shelter and cleaning up my own damaged home. I was also able to help others in the neighborhood with their damage and cleanup.  People said the Red Cross did not do anything for them. I can say the Red Cross did more for the people of south Mississippi than anyone could imagine. The volunteers spent thousands of hours helping those who needed it. People outside the coast area don’t realize the amount of devastation that Mississippi received. The national media concentrated their efforts on New Orleans. The courage and generosity of Mississippi residents were outstanding.

The church I belong to was doing extensive help in bringing supplies at the beginning and later sending crews of volunteers to the coast for clean-up duties. I went with the crew to document the coast devastation and clean-up in the Long Beach, Pass Christian and Gulfport area.  The scene along the coast is one I have never seen before since Hurricane Camile when I was 11-years-old. This damage was far more damaging than Camile. To see miles of beach home property completely washed away is something nobody should have to see again.

The photographs I shot are only a fraction of what Katrina did to Mississippi. My hope is that the documentation will be viewed for those who did not get to see what photojournalists saw. The camera lets us view events in a different perspective than the normal eye sees. Photojournalists tell stories with pictures that no one else can tell.

Steve Coleman is a freelance photojournalist, doctoral student and adjunct faculty in School of Mass Communication and Journalism, and staff with Institutional Research at the University of Southern Mississippi. The After Katrina Newswire is a project of the School of Mass Communication and Journalism at USM (www.usm.edu/afterkatrina). This story can be reprinted with this credit included.

http://www.usm.edu/afterkatrina/Coleman.html