Violent winds. Lashing rains. Rising water. Toppled trees, bridges and buildings. Flooded homes and businesses. There is no way to adequately calculate the terrible toll hurricanes inflict on area inhabitants. Each year from June to November, Creole Nature Trail residents live under the ever-present threat of yet another deluge.

Their willingness to persevere in the face of this daunting reality allows the American economy and eco-system to reap the great benefits sustained by these prairies, coastal marshes and gulf beaches. They have survived three epic storms — Audrey in 1957, Rita in 2005 and Ike in 2008 — and their oftentimes-haunting stories, testify to their endurance and their unbreakable bond with this ever-fertile domain.