Public Story
Flood of Biblical Proportions
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Flood of Biblical Proportions
Location: 38732
Nationality: USA
Biography:
Rory Doyle is a working photographer based in Cleveland, Mississippi in the rural Mississippi Delta. Born and raised in Maine, Doyle studied journalism at St. Michael’s College in Colchester, Vermont. In 2009, he moved to Mississippi to...
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Focus:
Photographer, Travel, News, Photography, Editorial Page, Civil Rights and Social Inequality
Covering:
Europe,
Latin America,
USA & Canada
Skills:
Adobe Photoshop, Photo Editing, Photojournalism
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© 2020 Rory Doyle
A crop of corn is engulfed by backwater flooding in Sharkey County, Mississippi June 14, 2019.
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© 2020 Rory Doyle
Backwater flooding surrounds a farm in the lower Mississippi Delta June 14, 2019.
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© 2020 Rory Doyle
A crop of corn is engulfed by backwater flooding in Sharkey County, Mississippi June 14, 2019.
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© 2020 Rory Doyle
Rodney Porter poses for a portrait neaxt to his pickup truck in Valley Park, Mississippi on July 20, 2019. Many residents have decorated their vehicles with the “Finish The Pumps” hashtag to spread flood awareness.
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© 2020 Rory Doyle
Mack and Hazel Shorter pose for a portrait in the home that once belonged to Hazel’s mother in Rolling Fork, Mississippi on July 27, 2019. The Shorters were forced to evactuate their home in Fitler, Mississippi due to the flood. “The only thing I can do is pray and ask the Lord to give me strength,” said Hazel. “Basically, we feel forgotten. A lot of people don’t realize that our lives have changed forever. When you have to uproot and move, it’s almost like starting life all over again. For the people who haven’t followed what’s happened here, I want them to know what this part of the world looks like — and how many people are suffering in the South. They need to see how the other half lives. Each year, it seems like the water is getting worse and worse. What’s going to happen in the next 5-10 years?” Photo by Rory Doyle for The Guardian.
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© 2020 Rory Doyle
A country store at Eagle Lake in Warren County, Mississippi is surrounded by floodwater June 13, 2019.
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© 2020 Rory Doyle
Brenda Browning tosses a dead raccoon into the floodwaters in Valley Park, Mississippi June 14, 2019. Browning found the raccoon inside the levee built around her parent’s home.
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© 2020 Rory Doyle
Carmen Hancock (left to right), James Hancock and Rodney Porter boat down a flooded road near their homes in Valley Park, Mississippi on July 16, 2019. They’ve spent the past five months helping their elderly neighbors survive in their homes surrounded by floodwater. “We’re living by the good Lord to do what’s right,” said James. “There’s a number of older people living in this neighborhood, and It’s just the right thing to do. When the going gets tough, the tough gets going. That’s what I live by. You do what has to be done.” Photo by Rory Doyle for the Guardian.
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© 2020 Rory Doyle
A home in Valley Park, Mississippi is surrounded by backwater flooding June 14, 2019. The property is normally surrounded by dry farmland.
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© 2020 Rory Doyle
Don Johnson, left, hugs his daughter, Beverly Cooper, near floodwater at Eagle Lake in Warren County, Mississippi on July 21, 2019. Cooper is temporarily living in a camper as a result of the flood. Photo by Rory Doyle for The Guardian.
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© 2020 Rory Doyle
A farmer exists floodwater and navigates the little dry land remaining on his property in the lower Mississippi Delta June 14, 2019.
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© 2020 Rory Doyle
Regional residents gather outside the Valley Park fire station following a media day meeting in Valley Park, Mississippi on July 27, 2019. Updates about recovery relief were provided by local officials and the Mississippi Levee Board. Photo by Rory Doyle for The Guardian.
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© 2020 Rory Doyle
Anderson Jones poses for a portait in Onward, Mississippi on July 27, 2019. Jones, a lifelong resident of Fitler, Mississippi, said he would do whatever it takes to repair his home from flood damage. “I’ve lived in that house my whole life. Where am I going to go if I can’t move back?” Photo by Rory Doyle for The Guardian.
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© 2020 Rory Doyle
Backwater flooding surrounds Pleasant Grove Baptist Church in Issaquena County June 14, 2019.
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© 2020 Rory Doyle
Barbara Browning, 74, poses for a portrait with her husband Norman Browning, 77, at their home in Valley Park, Mississippi June 14, 2019. A levee was constructed around their house to keep the backwater out, and the couple have barely left their home since the flooding began in February. Members of their family check on them daily.
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© 2020 Rory Doyle
Sandbags prepped by local volunteers are left avilable to regional residents in Rolling Fork, Mississippi June 14, 2019.
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© 2020 Rory Doyle
Roy DeFrance poses for a portrait outside of Valley Park Elvator, Inc. in Valley Park, Mississippi June 14, 2019. DeFrance has worked for the grain company since 1986 and is concerned about keeping his job with minimal product coming into the facility this year.
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© 2020 Rory Doyle
Stormy Deere boats outside her home in Warren County, Mississippi on July 16, 2019. Deere’s home was built high enough that it didn’t succumb to the floodwater, but she did have to boat in and out of her property beginning in March. “The isolation is tough,” said Deere. “It’s such a pain having to boat where I use to drive. The emotional effect is awful. You think you’ll see the light of day when the water drops a little, and then it pops right back up again. It’s really hard. This isn’t fair — just because we have a lower population, and we have a lower income per household, we still matter. We should be treated equally.” Photo by Rory Doyle for The Guardian.
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© 2020 Rory Doyle
A billboard in Rolling Fork, Mississippi urges President Trump to complete a pump station at the Steele Bayou Drainage Structure on Mississippi 465 north of Vicksburg June 13, 2019.
