I see today that some of the debris piles are getting smaller, except in areas like Cedar Point and Waveland, some of the hardest hit areas.
On Friday I visited Pearlington to see how the Pearlington Public Library is. You see, I am the public affairs/development officer for the Hancock County Library System. Our library system lost two branches - - Waveland and Pearlington. The Pearlington Library is currently being used as a shelter. I mean literally; there are cots inside the building where people sleep.
Pearlington it seems had more than 20 feet of water, being right on the Pearl River. There are not many houses standing, and those that are standing are probably structurally unsound. I don't really know. But I know a lot of people are living in tents there.
Pearlington used to be quite a busy little town years ago, when it was the center of the logging industry in Hancock County. And there was Logtown, a small town that was closed down in the 1960s when the Stennis Space Center came in and made everyone move from there because that part of the county was going to be a buffer zone. Anyway, Pearlington is rather devastated.
I also traveled through Lakeshore and Clermont Harbor on Friday. There are no standing structures there below the railroad tracks, and many people are living in tents. You see them raking through their debris, trying to find little pieces of their lives in the mud and rubble.
It will take Hancock County a long time to recover from this Hurricane Katrina. I see where Odile thinks that I am wallowing in self pity. Well, I'm so sorry she feels that way. I am a rather positive person, but some of this just gets me at times. I go to work everyday and all seems OK at work. But then when I leave work at 5 p.m., I see all the devastation again, and it just makes you heart sick. All the debris is people's lives, their photos, their keepsakes, their entire beings. And I am sure that it hurts them as much as it does me.
I can see progress being made. But that progress is minute in comparison to the disaster. It will get better. I know it will. It just takes time.
Simple chores a challenge
EMAIL THIS
TRACKBACKS
Trackbacks are links to weblogs that reference this post. Like comments, trackbacks do no appear until approved by us. The trackback URL for this post is: http://www.typepad.com/t/trackback/454638/3663850
advertisement
Thanks for telling about Pearlington. We volunteered a day there in mid-October. It was ground zero for wind AND flooded completely. And it seems the forgotten of the forgotten--except that its people appeared committed to courageously rebuilding their lives.
Don Rubottom, Tallahassee, FL (Sent Nov 14, 2005 2:50:50 PM)
Let me tell America about this wonderful woman Mary Perkins. She talks about the library system branches, well, let me tell you this about Mary. She is the tree of those branches. Hancock County and our library systems have been blessed because of Mary's efforts. When she talks about the debris and the despair before her eyes, she speaks volumns of truth. My home was located in one the hardest hit areas in Cedar Point. The debris field is huge and heartbreaking. Mary a personal note for you. You are not wallowing in self-pity, you are wallowing for the love of the life our County once had and for the life it will be again. It is the dedication of those like you that will breathe the life back into it. Hang tight Mary our libraries and our county needs you and all the wonderful work you have done and will do. Keep that chin up Mary, the best is yet to come.
Patti Hannah, Citzens Diary, Bay St. Louis USA (Sent Nov 14, 2005 3:20:59 PM)
My daughter & her daughter has gone to Waveland to help as much as they could..Handed out clothes & food..There is just so much that these young ones can do other than a lot of prayer...I'm disabile or I would have gone too..People do care........
Linda Workinger Machesney Park, Ill (Sent Nov 14, 2005 4:31:21 PM)
Glad to hear Mary is still there. I left before the hurricane and haven't been back yet. I spent a lot of time at the Bay St. Louis library and lived close to the Waveland library. Miss everyone there!
Connie Malone-Waveland, MS (now in GA) (Sent Nov 14, 2005 10:34:07 PM)
I was raised in Bay St Louis and have known Mary Perkins FOREVER. I am now in PA as I also lost everything, including my ex husband Van who was in the house we still owned together on Breeden Place. To say that someone is "wallowing in self pity" after what has happened is to misunderstand how people deal with grief. Everyone deals with it differently. Mary may grieve tremendously as I have done. Others may smile and put on a happy face and say all will be fine. But I do know that each and everyone of us deals with it differently and that is the way it has to be. Mary, I remember that you are a positive person. Susan Barnett can attest to that and she has asked about you alot!!! But know that my thoughts are with you. Each of us has to deal with this in our own way. Whatever you do is the way you have to do it. Trust that and remember we shall rise again. Somehow, some way. We will rise again.
Lydia Schultz, New Hope, PA (Sent Nov 14, 2005 10:36:40 PM)
I agree with Lydia. This was a life changing event for people who lived within this area. Many had ridden out storms before-- but Katrina was a monster. Some of the most storm/disaster hardy volunteers who came to Hancock County/ Bay St. Louis/ Waveland/ Clermont Harbor/ Pearlington, said that the destruction that they saw was the worst they had seen. They said that the magnitude and the geographic extent was like nothing they had ever seen. Anyways-- Everyone will grieve differently. I hope that people understand and appreciate that. But in this county there is no quick and easy escape from the devastation, the indivudual and the community loss associated with this storm. Even sitting on the seawall looking out over the water-- which used to be the meditation choice of so many, today it's just a reminder of the awesome power of Katrina.
Sue, Bay St. Louis, MS (Sent Nov 15, 2005 7:17:02 PM)
Thank you for such a great story of Giving. So much has been taken from our fellow Americans; yet, the basics still survive. By that I mean, concern for neighbor, concern for community, and lastly; an unselfish desire to unite others by leading from example. I am a New Orleans native and somehow Mississippi residents get overlooked. As far as I am concerned, examples such as Mary's pave the way for future disasters.
Many have lossed everything materially; yet, Katrina can't destroy old souls like Mary. Towns and cities have always come and gone with the natural cycle of time, unfortunately. Now, though, we can rest assured that no matter what happens, by whatever means, the indomitable human spirit will always prevail.
Elliot Dean, Cottage Grove, OR (Sent Nov 15, 2005 11:25:45 PM)
I lived in Pearlington for several years and now am in Mobile. Pearlington holds a special place in my heart. Recently I was at a PetsMart store in Baldwin County and there was a yellow lab there for adoption. His name is Oscar and he is from Pearlington. Just wanted his people to know (hope someone knows Oscar and can pass this on to them) that he is being adopted by a terrific family who are very excited to get him. The story was that his owners' home was destroyed and they had no resouces to keep him. I hope this post will help relieve any worry they might have over his future.
Muriel Donald, Grand Bay, AL (Sent Nov 17, 2005 10:59:27 AM)
SEND A COMMENT
PLEASE READ: All comments must be approved before appearing in the thread; time and space constraints prevent all comments from appearing. We will only approve comments that are directly related to the blog, use appropriate language and are not attacking the comments of others.