Stormbelt

Robert Leslie first visited the United States as a child in the late 1960s. There seemed to be an endless horizon of energy, enthusiasm & growth. Economically, at that time, the US was more productive per capita than any other country in the world and one of the major drivers of that economic certainty was the SunBelt, stretching across the south of the country from Florida to California. For this project, undertaken over a three year period, Leslie travelled more than 10,000 miles on the road from Florida to California - a journey that dramatically reshaped his perspective of the country. He chose a route through the Sunbelt at the height of the economic recession. Repossessed homes and men with "will do anything for money" signs told the tale. As his journey progressed, the impact of hurricanes, forest fires and drought became increasingly apparent. This entwining of the financial crash & natural disaster had shifted the once promised Sunbelt into the Stormbelt.