Mississippi Trip
Location: Ellisville, MS–90 miles south of Jackson, 90 miles north of Gulfport.
Jones County, which includes Ellisville and Laurel, was the hardest hit area after New Orleans and the Mississippi Gulf Coast.
Sunday morning, on the way, I topped off the truck's gas tank in Tallulah, approximately $2.59 per gallon. No limit.
Started seeing a few downed trees just west of Jackson. Not much. Started seeing more south of Jackson.
Topped off tank again in Magee, MS, $2.49 per gallon, $70 limit. More trees down along U.S. 49.
Collins, MS, about 20 miles north of Hattiesburg–lots of trees and power lines down. Outside Collins is a huge oil storage complex, and also where two major pipelines come through from the West, heading East. Was told later FEMA had taken over the plant.
The closer we got to Ellisville, the more trees were down. Had finally talked to my aunt Saturday night at 7. She said they were okay, and that my parents' house was okay. But the closer I got, the more I worried.
Finally in Ellisville at noon Sunday. It's about the size of Hamburg, maybe a little larger. The highway going into town off I-59 was lined with downed trees and lines. Saw one tree on that street on a house.
Got to the house. It's fine. I can breathe again. A neighbor's tree came through the board fence in the back and flattened a pear tree, and most of the fence. A limb fell from a pine tree on the vacant lot next door and bent a cyclone fence. Not much damage. Lifted the limb and threw it back where it belonged.
Saw shingles in yard. Looked at the roof, everything was fine. Finally saw they came from Methodist Church across the street.
Get in the house, and go in the kitchen. I heard something. Told Andrew to listen–the refrigerator was running. The house had power, about one of maybe six houses in town. We're on the same line as the hospital. Forgot it was always one of the first-on in town after a storm because of the hospital. Immediately turned the AC on.
Checked on Uncle Charles, 4 miles south of town. His daughter and son-in-law had come in from Tyler, TX. He was fine. Had one tree on carport, 100 trees down in his yard. Two aunts on other side of family fine; trying to save freezers with generators. One lost one, trying desperately to save the other. Took them each five gallons of gas. More proud to see that than anything else.
On the trip back home, on 49 north to Jackson, saw maybe 15 separate National Guard Convoys, maybe 75 fuel tankers in all with them. Also saw 50-60 Indiana State Police cars around Jackson headed South. Thank you.
Saw incident command vehicles from Baltimore between Laurel and Ellisville, included fire department command, police command, ambulances and two FEMA vehicles. Thank you, too.
Monday morning at 8:30, waited in line for 45 minutes to get $30 limit of gas at $2.49 per gallon to get back to Arkansas. Ellisville had 7 p.m. curfew because of F'n looters. Guard, police, etc., letting in cars one at a time, in one way and out the other.
Most yards had fallen, but most, as I said before, were on the ground, not on houses. It was awful to see my hometown hit like that. But at the same time, it was a relief at the same town.
Will probably rent the house. That's what I should have already done, but it's hard to let go. If I rent it, I feel like I can't go back home.
My second cousin's brother-in-law and his wife are building a house. Supposed to be ready by end of the year, but now it will probably take longer. The house they were living in is now unlivable. They need a place to stay for about six months, I need somebody to live in the house and take care of it. That's the best thing I can do–let somebody take care of it for me for right now.
Jones County, which includes Ellisville and Laurel, was the hardest hit area after New Orleans and the Mississippi Gulf Coast.
Sunday morning, on the way, I topped off the truck's gas tank in Tallulah, approximately $2.59 per gallon. No limit.
Started seeing a few downed trees just west of Jackson. Not much. Started seeing more south of Jackson.
Topped off tank again in Magee, MS, $2.49 per gallon, $70 limit. More trees down along U.S. 49.
Collins, MS, about 20 miles north of Hattiesburg–lots of trees and power lines down. Outside Collins is a huge oil storage complex, and also where two major pipelines come through from the West, heading East. Was told later FEMA had taken over the plant.
The closer we got to Ellisville, the more trees were down. Had finally talked to my aunt Saturday night at 7. She said they were okay, and that my parents' house was okay. But the closer I got, the more I worried.
Finally in Ellisville at noon Sunday. It's about the size of Hamburg, maybe a little larger. The highway going into town off I-59 was lined with downed trees and lines. Saw one tree on that street on a house.
Got to the house. It's fine. I can breathe again. A neighbor's tree came through the board fence in the back and flattened a pear tree, and most of the fence. A limb fell from a pine tree on the vacant lot next door and bent a cyclone fence. Not much damage. Lifted the limb and threw it back where it belonged.
Saw shingles in yard. Looked at the roof, everything was fine. Finally saw they came from Methodist Church across the street.
Get in the house, and go in the kitchen. I heard something. Told Andrew to listen–the refrigerator was running. The house had power, about one of maybe six houses in town. We're on the same line as the hospital. Forgot it was always one of the first-on in town after a storm because of the hospital. Immediately turned the AC on.
Checked on Uncle Charles, 4 miles south of town. His daughter and son-in-law had come in from Tyler, TX. He was fine. Had one tree on carport, 100 trees down in his yard. Two aunts on other side of family fine; trying to save freezers with generators. One lost one, trying desperately to save the other. Took them each five gallons of gas. More proud to see that than anything else.
On the trip back home, on 49 north to Jackson, saw maybe 15 separate National Guard Convoys, maybe 75 fuel tankers in all with them. Also saw 50-60 Indiana State Police cars around Jackson headed South. Thank you.
Saw incident command vehicles from Baltimore between Laurel and Ellisville, included fire department command, police command, ambulances and two FEMA vehicles. Thank you, too.
Monday morning at 8:30, waited in line for 45 minutes to get $30 limit of gas at $2.49 per gallon to get back to Arkansas. Ellisville had 7 p.m. curfew because of F'n looters. Guard, police, etc., letting in cars one at a time, in one way and out the other.
Most yards had fallen, but most, as I said before, were on the ground, not on houses. It was awful to see my hometown hit like that. But at the same time, it was a relief at the same town.
Will probably rent the house. That's what I should have already done, but it's hard to let go. If I rent it, I feel like I can't go back home.
My second cousin's brother-in-law and his wife are building a house. Supposed to be ready by end of the year, but now it will probably take longer. The house they were living in is now unlivable. They need a place to stay for about six months, I need somebody to live in the house and take care of it. That's the best thing I can do–let somebody take care of it for me for right now.
posted by ss at 2:37 PM
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