An interesting photo from USGS showing what impact severe storms can have on geomorphology. The photo shows part of the Chandeleur Islands; a north-south oriented chain of low-lying islands located approximately 100 kilometers east of the city of New Orleans, Louisiana. The first image, taken in July 2001, shows narrow sandy beaches and adjacent overwash sandflats, low vegetated dunes, and backbarrier marshes broken by ponds and channels. The second image shows the same location on August 31, 2005, two days after Hurricane Katrina made landfall on the Louisiana and Mississippi coastline. Storm surge and large waves from Hurricane Katrina submerged the islands, stripped sand from the beaches, and eroded large sections of the marsh. Today, few recognisable landforms are left on the Chandeleur Island chain (USGS, 2010). If you’re interested in this kind of thing, follow the link (or click the photo) and you’ll find many more photos like this, along with some interesting info!