In the middle of being battered by Hurricane Katrina, SURFER Staff Photographer Kevin Welsh has been staying just on the fringe of harm’s way, and working his tail off to stay on top of the swell. Word from Welshy is sporadic as he’s busy chasing hurricanes, and the most detailed dispatch we’ve received from him came in a frantic email—one that made us smile:“It’s been a hectic few weeks. After shooting the Quiksilver Surf Shop Challenges in Sebastian and Outer Banks I finally drove back home in the RV just in time to turn around and head NW to the Panhandle of Florida to chase swell from Hurricane Katrina. That was another 10-hour drive with hardly any sleep. This time I towed my small boat behind us in order to have access to this pointbreak inside Panama City. Filling a 15-1/2-foot boat with six amping surfers and myself wasn’t the safest decision I’ve made in my maritime career, but we pulled it. Just wanted to keep you posted on my status. Please take into account that we’re not talking Fiji or Indo. This is the Gulf, which hardly ever gets surf.” Enjoy