Sand bags prepared for plugging leaks in the dikes surrounding New Orleans.

NOAA ships at the NOAA National Marine Fisheries Laboratory pier.

NOAA ships at the NOAA National Marine Fisheries Laboratory pier.

NOAA ships at the NOAA National Marine Fisheries Laboratory pier.

Motiva refinery west of New Orleans.

Motiva refinery west of New Orleans.

Thousands of downed trees following Hurricane Katrina.

Thousands of downed trees following Hurricane Katrina.

Thousands of downed trees following Hurricane Katrina.

The NOAA National Weather Service forecast office at Slidell just north of Lake Pontchartrain.

The NOAA Ship THOMAS JEFFERSON surveying approaches to harbors and the interior of harbors for obstructions. NOAA also sent hydrographic field parties to the stricken area and had resurveyed and cleared harbors in the area for ship traffic within three weeks of Hurricane Katrina.

The NOAA Ship THOMAS JEFFERSON surveying approaches to harbors and the interior of harbors for obstructions. NOAA also sent hydrographic field parties to the stricken area and had resurveyed and cleared harbors in the area for ship traffic within three weeks of Hurricane Katrina.

The NOAA Ship THOMAS JEFFERSON surveying approaches to harbors and the interior of harbors for obstructions. NOAA also sent hydrographic field parties to the stricken area and had resurveyed and cleared harbors in the area for ship traffic within three weeks of Hurricane Katrina.

The Battleship ALABAMA museum and memorial in Mobile Bay.

The Battleship ALABAMA museum and memorial in Mobile Bay.

Helicopter - a victim of Hurricane Katrina.

Boats, barges and debris on the levee at Venice.

Boats on the bank at Venice.

Boats on the bank with oil slicks in the water. Mississippi River in distance.

Sunken boats near Venice.

Supply boat turned completely over and resting with bow on the pier at Venice. Spewing oil in the water.

Boats on bank and oil slicks in the water at Venice.

Shrimp boat on the bank at Venice.

Not boats but cars in a parking lot turned pond making their own oil slicks.

Venice still with at least two to three feet of water two weeks after Hurricane Katrina.

Venice still with at least two to three feet of water two weeks after Hurricane Katrina.

Shrimp boat on the bank near Venice.

Shrimp boats, barges, and debris on the bank at Venice after Hurricane Katrina.

Total devastation following Hurricane Katrina.

A train blown off a siding as result of Hurricane Katrina.

A train blown off a siding as result of Hurricane Katrina.

Devastation of fisheries infrastructure in Plaquemines Parish following Katrina.

Unusable pier following Katrina.

Crew boat upside down, half on and half off dock.

Remains of waterside hardware store.

Ice plant necessary to preserve commercial fish caught in Plaquemines Parish.

Wayne Weikel inspecting damage to fisheries infrastructure following Hurricane Katrina.

Remains of fish processing plant.

The Mayflower and Fellow Ship lying by the side of the road. Over 4,000 commercial vessels in the area were destroyed, damaged, and or washed on shore.

Shrimp boats on the shore following Katrina.

Piers, ice plant and even the concrete foundation destroyed by Katrina.

Remains of the ice plant.

Ice plant damage. The ice is necessary to preserve commercial fish catch and without it no fishing could be done.

Ice plant damage.

A jumbled heap of motors, compressors and other equipment at the ice plant.

Ice plant damage.

Still floating shrimp boat that will take some work to get back in order.

Damage to fish processing and preserving infrastructure.

Damage to fish processing and preserving infrastructure.

Some lucky boat owners got their boats back and operational in a short time while others had to wait months to have their's recovered from the land and prepared for re-floating.