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http://www.clarionledger.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050902/NEWS0110/509020378/1260

September 2, 2005

McNeill area escapes major storm damage

County suffers 17 deaths in hurricane, but small community "very fortunate," says assistant fire chief

By Ana Radelat
Clarion-Ledger Washington Bureau

MCNEILL — They consider themselves lucky in the small Pearl River County community of McNeill, despite a countywide death toll from Hurricane Katrina of 17.

Pearl River County, near the coast and less than 30 miles from New Orleans, was in the eye of Katrina. But the people who live in McNeill survived the storm without any casualties or much destruction. Amazingly, while the area lacks power like much of Mississippi, its community water system continued to work.

"We consider ourselves very fortunate," said Greg Glidewell, the assistant fire chief.
But the county coroner has reported 17 storm-related deaths elsewhere, and the devastation to the largely rural area is enormous. Downed trees still litter the backroads. The downtowns of the county's main towns, Picayune and Poplarville, are shattered.

But Glidewell said the area is coping.

He's spent three days trying, so far unsuccessfully, to clear the roads of fallen trees with the help of an all-terrain "Gator" the McNeill Fire and Rescue squad received though a grant.

"We laughed and said, 'we'll never use this thing,' but we've been driving it for three days and nights now," Glidewell said.

While some back roads are impenetrable, the county's main artery, I-59, is clear.

A line of cars snakes into Pearl River Central Elementary, where the Federal Emergency Management Agency has set up a water- and food-distribution center manned by the Mississippi National Guard.

First Sgt. James Carroll is commander of the operation. About 30 members of his air defense artillery unit from Morton are handing out bags of ice, bottles of water, and -- until about noon Thursday -- "meals ready to eat," packaged military meals also known as MREs.

Roger Baker, one of the hundreds who have been served, is sorry the center has run out. "They're great," he said. "Especially the jambalaya. It's delicious."

The unit was called up for duty on Sunday and sent to Hattiesburg's Camp Shelby. They worked in Gulfport on Tuesday and set up the center in McNeill on Wednesday.

Carroll is proud of the orderly operation he's running, with the help of several inmates from a local jail, and worried his unit will be sent to Poplarville or another site.