By USGS
Posted Sunday, October 2, 2005
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Hurricane Katrina Photographs August 30, 2005
Scientists with the U.S. Geological Survey’s National Wetlands
Research Center have surveyed the impacts of Hurricane Katrina on the barrier
islands, barrier shoreline, and the Mississippi River Delta along the Louisiana
coastline.
On August 30, the day after Hurricane Katrina
struck the gulf coast, USGS research wildlife biologist
Tommy Michot and USGS
geographer Chris Wells conducted a post-hurricane flight to photograph and
assess damage from Raccoon Island to the Isles Dernieres, just east of the
important oil port, Port Fourchon. They continued to the mouth of the
Mississippi River Delta by Grand Isle, then Venice, up along the Chandeleur
Islands, and finally back west over the north shore of Lake Pontchartrain to
natural and wildlife areas around Fort Pike, Slidell, and then Mandeville.
Their primary focus was the impacts on the ecosystems, such as fish kills,
the destruction of rookeries, and the endangerment of seagrass beds that provide
habitats for fish, birds, and shellfish.
In addition to addressing these biological concerns, Michot and Wells also
witnessed the destruction of many human structures. For example, on Grand Isle,
a recreational area for sport fisheries, almost everything was damaged: several
homes and camps were completely obliterated, debris was scattered across the
island, and several cars and boats were displaced. The town of Venice, just west
of the Delta National Wildlife Refuge, was completely flooded and suffered
similar damage, leaving boats, lumber and dead vegetation washed up against the
levee.
Some of the most dramatic impacts of Hurricane Katrina were seen along the
Chandeleur Islands, the first line of defense from tropical storm damage for the
coast of Louisiana. The land mass has been reduced by approximately 50 percent.
The Chandeleur lighthouse is no longer visible and has most likely toppled with
its remains now submerged in the flooded water.
The Chandeleur Island chain has been hit by five storms in the past eight
years. In 1998 it endured the effects of Hurricane Georges. In
2002 it suffered further damage from both Tropical Storm Isadore and Hurricane Lili. In 2004
it was battered by Hurricane Ivan, and it
has been struck hard once again by Hurricane Katrina.
Michot and other scientists have collected images of the impact and recovery
of the islands after each of these storms and found that after every major storm
hit, the depth of erosion was greater and the land’s recovery time was longer.
Before Hurricane Katrina there was some land recovery from the damage caused by
last year’s Hurricane Ivan; that restored landmass has once again been
destroyed.
The Chandeleur Islands not only protect important habitats for wildlife, but
they also act as barriers which help dampen the impacts of hurricanes and
tropical storms on Louisiana’s coast.
The National Park Service has requested images of Jean Lafitte Natural
Historical Park and Preserve, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has asked
for images from Pearl River. On September 1, 2005, Michot and Wells plan to fly
again to provide additional photographs. Continue to check back at this site for
updates and further information.
Chandeleur Islands, LA
Former Location of the Chandeleur
Lighthouse
Current northern extent of Chandeleur Island
chain, 3.25 NM south of the former location of the Chandeleur lighthouse.
Air Force radio tower located near the former northern
tip of the Chandeleur Island chain. The Chandeleur lighthouse formerly stood
just to the left of this tower but is now gone.
Redfish Point
Middle of Chandeleur Island main chain, looking
from north to south. Redfish Point, on the longest peninsula, is visible in
background, center of photo. New Harbor Island to the right.
Redfish Point looking from west to east. Note
seagrass beds in the foreground.
Southern part of Chandeleur Island main chain
from Redfish Point looking south.
Monkey Bayou
Current southern tip of Chandeleur Island main
chain, looking northward from Monkey Bayou in the foreground. Note the dark
brown wrack, wave deposited dead vegetation and debris, on right.
Breton Island
Curlew Island
Gosier Island
New Harbor
North Island
Venice, LA
Venice is the southernmost permanently inhabited area on
the Louisiana coast and is situated within a ring levee on the Mississippi. The
levee was ineffective during Hurricane Katrina. The entire town was flooded, oil
field vessels and barges were strewn haphazardly, and huge deposits of wrack
were left on both sides of the ring levee on the west side of town. The U.S.
Fish and Wildlife Services headquarters for Delta National Wildlife Refuge
appeared to be structurally sound, although the first floor was damaged. A newly
constructed tool shed was crushed by a massive barge-crane, which apparently
floated on top of the building.
Grand Isle,
LA
 
Grand
Terre
 
Isles
Dernieres
 
The central Isles Dernieres were minimally impacted by
Hurricane Katrina.
Old Oyster
Bay
Scientists from the USGS maintain permanent research
sites in coastal Louisiana and elsewhere. Two important sites are at Old Oyster
Bayou and at Bay Junop. Neither site appeared to have any impact from the
storm.
Raccoon Island
 
Imagery from the 1950s to 2003 at
Raccoon Island has been mapped by NWRC geographers. The mapping has been
conducted to assess changes in habitat and island conformation. The post-Katrina
photography here indicates minor changes due to the hurricane. Some sand behind
the breakwaters was repositioned or eroded, and there was some minor overwash on
the western end of the island. Nestling pelicans were still present on the
nests, but we also a few bodies of birds beneath the mangroves.
Timbaliers
The Timbalier islands were increasingly
affected from west to east. Overwash fans and erosion were very apparent on the
eastern islands.
The Rigolets
The area from east of the Rigoletes to
Mandeville-Covington was in the direct path of the eyewall of Hurricane Katrina.
Many islands and islets were partially or completely scraped-clean of
vegetation. The human impact is stark, compelling, and terrible. Many shoreline
and near-shore homes were shattered leaving streaks of debris-- formerly homes
and businesses-- spread into the marsh and forming vast wrack fields along the
shoreline or drifting in Lake Pontchartrain.
The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service’s Big Branch Headquarters looked nearly
unaffected.
This document prepared by the National Wetlands Research Center
URL - http://www.nwrc.usgs.gov/hurricane/post-hurricane-katrina-photos.htm
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