Gulf of Mexico The Calm Before Hurricane Katrina Off The Coast of Louisiana

by Michael Hoard

Title

Gulf of Mexico The Calm Before Hurricane Katrina Off The Coast of Louisiana

Artist

Michael Hoard

Medium

Photograph - Photography

Description

This tranquil photo the calm before the storm was taken aboard a large exploration boat. Scientist from Oregon, Virginia where doing deep water exploration for the first spur platform named the Constitution Being from New Orleans my entire life, and knowing of the hurricane coming up and around Florida, I asked the scientist on board when did they take a temperature reading of the Gulf. The informed me it was about a week prior. I had mentioned to them reading on the net about Hurricane Katrina,, coming up into the Gulf of Mexico. The normal is in the mid 80's well to there surprise the water temperature had risen. In short, the path of the storm was directly over the location of the exploration boat. Aware of the dangerous situation our boat had to go west and retrieve individuals who where on the worlds second largest floating crane doing working in the Gulf. The boat picked them up and headed to Port Fourchoun, just east of Grand Isle, Louisiana USA. Because of situation and the crew was from Denmark customs agents met us in Port Fourchon, La, USA. The boat I was on picked up supplies and refuled to head west away from the direct path of the Hurricane. We left Sunday at noon and pulled into port in Morgan City early moring. Because the storm passed over the intense thermal pocket in the gulf where we were caused the storm to grow into the monster it became. During the night our boat had experienced serve swells and gale force winds. A trip I will never forget. The morning the storm devasted New Orleans, Louisiana we had experienced 70 mile per hour gale force squall winds inland behind the locks of Morgan City, LA. The storm had veered to the right and whipped out the Mississippi and Alabama coast. During the Hurricane I was speaking to my immediate family who did not leave New Orleans, Louisiana but stayed downtown. While I was on the phone talking to my sister from my cell on the back of the boat I had lost all contact with my family. Normally everyone would travel north as far as Tennessee or North Carolina for safe refuge, this time they stayed behind. They where on the 9th floor of the Holiday Inn downtown New Orleans, LA USA. Fearing I had lost my entire family, the company I worked for received my email and concern about my family. And managed to contact Red Cross it was weeks later I found out they were all safe. As conditions got worse downtown, the National Guard told my family if they had a car to leave while they had a chance. They managed to go a back route away from the flooding which was devouring pretty much the entire city. When the storm subsided and we where able to return to Port Fourchon, LA our boat had slow voyage due to the massive amount of debris in the Gulf waters, roof tops to home, any thing which floated. We all stood at the mast looking for any survivors who took refuge on anything which floated.. The Port which I left had been submersed under 20 foot surges. I did finally weeks later meet up with my family and we all told of our adventures of mother natures furry. At one point I broke down on the back of the boat, fully aware I had lost 51 years of my photographic images. When I finally was able to get back in New Orleans, LA did I find out the tidal surge had not made it that far inland where my photos were being stored. Unfortunate for an entire city which lost there entire worldly possessions I am fortunate to share my 51 years of photography.

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January 23rd, 2013

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