Georgia Flood
Posted by admin on Wednesday Sep 23, 2009 Under daily workThis summer I have seen more rain than any year before in my life. I grew up accustomed to terms like “insipid drought,” not swollen rivers or floods. Monday afternoon, David was trying to drive back into the city and what would have been a 45 minute drive turned into hours, as the the rain pounded down, I-85 flooded and was closed. I didn’t realize it had gotten much worse than that until I saw photos from the AJC Tuesday morning. So, when the New York Times called and asked me to meet a reporter and try to hop a boat into a flooded home in Buckhead, I obliged.
I first met Gini Knox, who was waiting with her dog along a completely flooded street as her wader-wearing husband and two sons ferried boats with what could be recovered from their flooded home. She hadn’t been in, but kept getting reports back as they came and went with boatloads of muddy photos and art. “All the hardbacks are destroyed, but we got some of the paperbacks.” She had a smile on her face and if you didn’t notice the water in front of her, with the sun shining down, you’d think it was just a normal beautiful day.
And that’s what was so shocking. All the residents I met were so cheerful and friendly.
I crawled into a boat as Gini’s step-son Reid pulled me down the street and into their front yard, past submerged book pages and around bushes, up to the front door. Because the Chattahoochee lines the Knox’s backyard, they prepared the night before as the river swelled. They put books and furniture up on wooden planks and grabbed a couple bags of clothes and jewelery. But, as I followed him through the house, where the water had climbed up to five feet and knocked down all their plans and spilled into cabinets and pulled out crayons and photos, littering them on the now muddy floor, Reid told me, “in hindsight, we should’ve taken pictures.” That stung. He still grabbed them, some in frames, some coated in the slime and mud, and put them in trash bags. Leaving the soaked computer and destroyed books in puddles.
“Feeling bad’s not gonna do much for us right now,” Reid told me after I asked how his spirits could be so high as he walked through his father’s completely destroyed home.
I spoke to one of the Knox’s neighbors, Benjamin Prince, who was using his boat to take people to their homes. He called himself one of the lucky ones — the water had climbed to 12.5 feet and his house is on stilts at 13 feet. He told gathering children that his house looked like a house boat and that he’d swam laps around it. “How often do you get to swim in your own front yard?,” he asked.
This was such a great reminder of the strength and resilience of people. I’m glad I witnessed it.
September 23rd, 2009 at 7:34 am
incredible images kendrick. i still cant believe that this really happened…..
September 23rd, 2009 at 7:46 am
[...] Kendrick Brinson photographed Atlanta residents retrieving items from their flooded homes in Buckhead for The New York Times. See more on her blog here. [...]
September 23rd, 2009 at 7:56 am
Heartbreaking but beautiful…I feel so bad for these people, but I’m glad you were able to so aptly capture their devastation.
September 23rd, 2009 at 8:16 am
It ceases to amaze me that it’s the images that sober us to the reality of sad events like this. The last image is surreal, and for me, symbolizes both the sadness and imbued hope of this event.
I was stuck on 575 Monday night, listening to radio reports, receiving frantic calls from family in Austell who were stranded…and there was nothing I could do to get to them. Despite all of that, it wasn’t until I got access to a TV later that evening and saw some of the first **images** of the flooding…that the heartbreak hit. Until I “saw” it, it was all just irritation, frustration and uncertainty. But the images brought the heartbreak and the reality of what was being dealt to so many. My first house I ever owned is flooded to the roof along with my elementary school, not to mention friends who are still salvaging whatever can be. But, my family and friends are safe despite material losses and everyone has the best attitude, which feels me with gratitude and hope.
Truely, these are authentic images that only result from putting yourself in the heart of it…thank you for capturing this.
September 23rd, 2009 at 8:22 am
[...] BOX OF LIGHT » Blog Archive » Georgia Flood: This summer I have seen more rain than any year before in my life. I grew up accustomed to terms [...]
September 23rd, 2009 at 8:29 am
Kendrick, daily doses of your words and images via fb are very inspiring. Your pictures of the flood have your personal, unique point of view. Thanks for making my world richer.
September 23rd, 2009 at 8:52 am
Terrific images showing the human aspect of the flooding. Really quite shocking to see flooding in Georgia!
September 23rd, 2009 at 8:03 pm
Hello Kendrick, I was surfing the internet looking photographers web sites, and I came in here. I like Your pictures, your works, really.
I am from Buenos Aires, I am an Argentinian documentary Photographer, or at least I try to be. I`m almost beginner.
This is my blog if you want to have a look: http://www.cristianscote.blogspot.com/
Greetings.
Cristian.
September 25th, 2009 at 3:47 pm
Kendrick, thanks for coming to see us the other day. word on the street (between mud puddles and shovels) is that Most everyone is going to re-build..we all love this street, even though it’s a Gosh-Damn Flood plain..guess we love the fetid water too….
all’s, b e n