8 years of floods in pictures

Gideon Mendel, a South African photographer, began a journey in 2007 making portraits of flood-affected people from around the world. The idea came about in 2007, when the UK experienced a series of heavy summer downpours which put much of Britain under water. Also that summer, 30 million people in India, Bangladesh and Nepal had to escape floods that were much deeper than usual. Since then, he has travelled to Haiti, Pakistan, Australia, Bangladesh, Brazil, and South Carolina.

Mendel, whose work crosses documentary and art, says he makes no distinction between people caught in “normal” or unusual floods, but is aware that extreme weather has become more common. Wherever he goes, people tell him the rivers have reached their highest ever levels.

David and Elaine Samios, Summerville, South Carolina, US, 9 October 2015. Communities have been left devastated following rain-induced flooding in South Carolina that have been described as “unprecedented”.

To view the collection of photographs posted by Gideon Mendel, click here.

For more information about Gideon Mendel and his journey, click here.