Dark Waters

In 2016, a huge flash flood occurred between Tangipahoa and East Baton Rouge Parishes, damaging approximately 110,000 homes. On my second day at the Louisiana School for Math, Science, and the Arts, a public boarding school where I was beginning my junior year of high school, an influx of new students arrived who were among those who had lost their homes and/or schools due to the flood.

When listening to my friends’ personal accounts of the flood, one poignant image continued to resurface: the image of water so dark, it appeared black. The water not only destroyed their homes, but it also destroyed their family photo albums and the history within, leaving them without shelter, food, or sentimental possessions. This powerful image of black water blotting away the ink of family photos, carrying those memories away, and leaving inky, tear-like streams in its path drove my piece. Through Dark Waters, I attempted to recreate the events of the flood and give voice to the impact it had on the communities of the Baton Rouge area.