Well a few people have asked, so I’ll just put it all out there for anyone interested in what’s going on back home in Mississippi.
Most of the electricity is still out for about the southern half of state, including most of my hometown and surrounding area. This includes my mother and sister.
Mama didn’t get running water back until late Tuesday night, though I think my sister never lost water. Mama also has a tree down which pulled her electrical box from the house, so she’ll likely be last in her neighborhood to get electricity restored. My sister is the only one with gas-heated water, so they’re all showering at her house. Thank God for that, I guess!
My older brother who lives near Hattiesburg, directly in the path of the storm but about an hour’s drive inland, lost power of course, but only had some minor roof damage and fallen trees. I’m sure they have insurance for that. They are now staying with Mama back in Brookhaven and coping—with no power in the Mississippi heat.
At least parts of Brookhaven have power restored so they can buy a few things here and there. However, they have to drive store-to-store to see who’s open, and gas is running out fast. Many gas stations that still have power to run pumps are already out.
Schools will likely be closed until next week, and power could be out for weeks in many areas. At this point they’re over that—all the food has already spoiled and they’ve adapted to the heat. Let’s hope garbage service will resume soon to take away the festering thawed food.
I think the weirdest part is knowing that they don’t get to see how bad other places are. They don’t have TV, of course, and I suspect the town’s newspaper just started printing again today. The statewide paper probably hasn’t resumed delivery to most of the state. So they don’t see what we see—the bodies lying in the streets of New Orleans and the people crying over missing loved ones on the Gulf Coast.
Perhaps in a way they are lucky to be able to deal with their own problems without having to grieve for others just yet.
I’m really really glad your family’s ok…and you know what they say ‘ignorance is bliss’–one thing at a time, I guess, right?
How’s Tre’s family? Did it even get near Starkville?
The paper did print yesterday… Schools are out at least until next week, some will be out longer – like Monticello and Lawrence County.
The power company has been telling people in town they might get power by Sept. 12 – 14, and the phone company says repairs may be completed in some places in town by October 25th. My husband’s cousin works for the phone company and he worked yesterday from about 6:30 am – almost midnight.
Gas is a – well I was going to say it is a laugh – but it isn’t. I just hope nobody gets killed over it! Lines at every station are at least a MILE long PER PUMP! I’m not exaggerating. They are also running out of Diesel that places like the hospital and nursing homes need to run generators. Some stations have begun refusing to sell to the public, so that there will be a supply for official vehicles – police, fire, ambulances, etc.
Ice just doesn’t exist here now. It’s got to come from Georgia. And if you know anything about the South, you know you can’t do without ice!
The local hospital ran out of Oxygen Tuesday. I haven’t heard an update, but I hope and pray they have gotten a supply in.
We’ve heard that gas stations further North in Mississippi are rationing gas – only allowing 18-wheelers 50 gallons of gas per fill up. Rant here – How are we going to get replacement supplies if they won’t fill up the trucks to get them to us!!?!from Work – which must go on…
Starkville only got wind and lots of rain. I also got an update that Mama got power back yesterday around 4…but only because she lives close to a substation. The crews (from Illinois, no less) started working at the substation moving outward. So she’s got power before most people she knows and had about 15 refugees last night. 🙂 She’s been staying at home anyway, since she’s out of gas.
Either to avoid a rush, or because they lack power, Wal-Mart is only letting about 20 customers in at a time. Mama said the line was about a block long and not worth it!
I guess if anything it is an adventure for everyone—they all know they are far more lucky that their neighbors to the south.
We are VERY VERY LUCKY! If the eye of the hurricane had made a direct hit on New Orleans it would have come right through here, too.
Wal-mart has just a generator I think – and it is definitely not worth it.
One of the sad things is that with all the rebuilding to be done it won’t be local people (that is Gulf Coast “residents” and New Orleans “residents” getting the jobs – since they don’t have them anymore – it will be people from outside of the area getting the jobs and the income the storm refugees really need. Contractors won’t have the time, or take the time to search out these people and train them in the rush to get things done.