Utah photographer catches images of Sandy's descent on East Coast

SALT LAKE CITY — Hannah Galli's photography has taken her to Europe, Asia, South America and across the United States. Monday it took her into a hurricane.

The Salt Lake City photographer had traveled to Virginia to photograph a wedding and spend some time driving along the East Coast, with her sister's home in Silver Spring, Md., as her final destination.

As rain fell on what was supposed to be a beach wedding, Galli said she saw the waterline begin to retreat 300 yards from the pier she was standing on, and she knew the impending storm would be serious.

"People began to panic at that point, and everyone started shutting things down and the roads started closing," she said. "We stayed to help clean things up, and in the morning, we were driving through the water."

Galli hopped in a borrowed car and headed for her sister's house, stopping frequently along the way to watch the storm through her camera's lens.  

As she raced ahead of Hurricane Sandy, Galli and her friend, Scotty Cantrell, also of Salt Lake City, were met by traffic accidents, slippery roads and high winds. They briefly stopped in Washington, D.C., leaving as the Potomac began to creep over its banks.

Now, the Utah residents are in Maryland, rescheduling flights back to Salt Lake City. While Galli waits, she continues to photograph everything she can.

"After any sort of storm, especially a big one, there is a beautiful calm that comes to the area," Galli said. "I want to try to take those photos, of things becoming still again."

E-mail: mromero@deseretnews.com

Twitter: @McKenzieRomero