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Gulf journals: Documenting a disaster

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

(CNN) -- Wednesday marks the 100th day of the worst oil disaster in U.S. history. Since April 20, the catastrophic Deepwater Horizon explosion has allowed millions of barrels of oil into the Gulf of Mexico, devastating many communities of the Gulf Coast and its ecosystem.

CNN iReport quickly realized that we had a unique opportunity to profile and share the stories of concerned Gulf residents. As the oil disaster continued to worsen, we received dozens of heartbreaking stories with photos and videos of oil-covered beaches and wildlife.

Once the threat of oil became a serious reality to Gulf Coast residents, we started to showcase both the powerful images and stories together on our blog, through a series of profiles of iReporters on the forefront of the disaster. We've heard stories from tattoo artists in Grand Isle, Louisiana, a lifelong Pensacola, Florida, resident, and a woman who's driven hundreds of miles to tell the story of a suffering Louisiana town.

These stories help us look into the lives of the hardworking people of the Gulf as they watch this disaster take its toll. Click through the gallery above to read nine personal accounts of this catastrophe, and visit the iReport blog for a complete archive.