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photo by Marcus Frazier
Sharonda Jackson grabs one of the last cases of water a Wal-Mart in Natchez Thursday afternoon. With the threat of Tropical Storm Gustav, Miss-Lou residents are stocking up on necessities such as water and non-perishable food items. At approximately noon on Thursday Wal-Mart had less than 100 cases of water in stock.
All hotel rooms are booked as Gustav nears coast
Published Friday, August 29, 2008
NATCHEZ — Every hotel and bed and breakfast room is booked to capacity by evacuees and has been since Wednesday.
Pat Isaac, front desk manager at the Days Inn, said her hotel rooms are booked beginning Saturday through Wednesday.
Eola General Manager Ron Brumfield said once his hotel filled up he started referring people to the state hotline to find rooms elsewhere.
He said the hotel is prepared for the crowd, most of which is slated to arrive Saturday.
“It’s basically business as usual except gearing more staff and ordering more supplies and making sure there’s diesel for the generators,” Brumfield said. “It’s just the regular checklist.”
Comfort Suites General Manager Kay Deweese said once her hotel was full, they started turning people away to other Comfort Suites locations in Texas and even Arkansas.
With everything filled up, the Natchez Convention and Visitors Bureau is asking any resident who is willing to open their house to evacuees to call the CVB.
The Natchez CVB has been calling on volunteers to be information providers, making sure WiFi is ready for anyone to use and notifying hotels of the expected crowds.
Many downtown restaurants close on Sunday and with so many guests in town, hours might need to shift, Tourism Director Connie Taunton said.
“If we have that many people in town, they might want to reconsider being open on Sunday,” she said.
Meanwhile at local grocery stores and Wal-Mart, nonperishable items and bottled water were the main focus of shoppers.
At Wal-Mart around 5 p.m., two cases of water were left on the shelves.
Natchez resident Carmen Yearta went to the Wal-Mart gas station with five empty gas cans to stock up for her generator and chainsaw.
“I figured I’d just bring five, I didn’t want to be greedy with everyone else waiting for gas,” she said.
She said lines for gas weren’t too bad and expects people are procrastinating.
“I’ve been at this a long time, I know the drill,” she said.
Barry Loy, retail operations manager for The Markets, said he is not afraid of running out of items, yet.
“We still have products; we reordered, preordered,” he said. “We’re not out of business, we’re in pretty good shape.”
A rush of incoming evacuees, however, might drain the stores’ resources, Loy said.
“We’re not going to run out today or tomorrow, but depending on what the influx of people might be, but we feel we’re in pretty good shape,” Loy said.
And while residents brace themselves for evacuees and the storm, county officials are putting their heads together to get ready for what’s next.
Adams County Emergency Management Agency Director Stan Owens said he spent Thursday meeting with local agencies like the Red Cross and the United Way to make sure they’re prepared.
He said the biggest concern right now is possibly having a shortage of volunteers to help.
Law enforcement, fire department, public works and ambulance service officials, among others, will meet at 9:30 a.m. today at the Copiah-Lincoln Community College Multipurpose Room.
“I just want to make sure everyone is on the same page,” Owens said.
Planning and preparation is the name of the game, and that’s all that can be done until it’s known for sure what Gustav is going to do, Owens said.
“It’s a waiting game but a very busy waiting game,” Owens said.
Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour declared a state of emergency Thursday afternoon.
In Concordia Parish, emergency officials are preparing to direct evacuations straight through the parish and further on to Bastrop, Monroe and Shreveport, where there are larger shelters.
Concordia Parish should be the last place to fill up from evacuees, Concordia Parish Emergency Director Morris White said.
“If you put all of the people (who initially evacuate) up north and the storm turns and lands near New Orleans, the people who waited and have to make a break for it don’t have to go as far,” he said.
The parish is not getting a big influx of evacuation traffic right now because the interstates are still open, allowing people to travel more directly to the large evacuation points, White said.
“When we start getting evacuations through here is when the interstates overload,” he said.
But just in case, White and Concordia Parish’s emergency personnel are getting together to plan what they are going to do and how they will help people along the evacuation route, including erecting evacuation route signs.
Comments
Posted by NTZglasshouses (anonymous) on August 29, 2008 at 12:52 a.m. (Suggest removal)
THE SKY IS FALLING!!
Everyone make sure you buy enough bottled water to float a battleship, and watch it sit in your storeroom for the next 2 years. What are you going to do...fill up a swimming pool with your Dasani?
And the gas thing. Come on people. Your panic creates the lines/shortage...and price increases that Natchez gas stations LOVE. The gas station owners thank you. They can jack the prices up $.30 higher than ANYWHERE in the state (instead of the $.15 higher they usually charge) due to your panic.
Have fun with your 800 gallons of gasoline in 5 gallon cans, your $2000 generators, and your 42 cases of Dasani. I'll just wait for the thunderstorm to pass over.
Posted by bolyert (anonymous) on August 29, 2008 at 1:28 a.m. (Suggest removal)
i agree with you ntzglasshouses i didn't get no water and i work at wal-mart i mean come on the lights might go out but just because they do don't mean the water will stop running all i think you need is a couple flashlights and some batteries and the gas thing is crazy too yesterday gas at wal-mart was 3.49 today it was 3.55 and no telling what it will be tomorrow it ain't like it is going up enough now people are just begging for it to go up more
Posted by danielsbasketry (anonymous) on August 29, 2008 at 2:25 a.m. (Suggest removal)
You two should be ashamed of yourselves for making fun of people who do have the forethought to avoid becoming a burden on others if disaster does strike. I make no apology for stocking up. My husband is bed ridden, on oxygen, with a stomach peg and a trach. We have to have water and lots of it. We also have to have the generator and the gas to operate it. We have already used it four hours this month. The oxygen concentrator has to have electricity, as does the sunction unit for the trach, the air unit for the bed, the bed itself, and the food pump. Walk a mile in someone else's shoes before making blanket statements.
Posted by oldshool (anonymous) on August 29, 2008 at 3:31 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I agree,I went to Wal-Mart and they was completely sold out of pig feet,Oreo cookies, wave grease, Madden 09,Box pizzas,Kool-Aid,Bread,and pig lips,I almost threw a fit.People are buying everything out of these stores and the strorm gone pass us right over like it always does,lol.
Posted by mistie (anonymous) on August 29, 2008 at 5:43 a.m. (Suggest removal)
danielsbasketry
I am sorry to hear of your situation. I , too am taking care of others that are unable to care for themselves at this time of need. I really think these ignorant people that make such stupid comments are just looking to stir up a conflict,as they have nothing, or noone better to do !!!
They need to stay out of town, drink from a creek,and blow their smoke elsewhere
Posted by picture_music101 (anonymous) on August 29, 2008 at 6:34 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Ok this is what i dont get why is gas going up and food being bought like crazy when the storm isnt even here yet!?!?!?Im not getting food till i see rain.But also if people are getting prepared already;;;schools?? Are they gunnah be closed!!?! I think they should.Wouldnt want to have the kids on the way to school and for exaple get in a wreck or a tree fall on or around the bus.
Posted by NTZglasshouses (anonymous) on August 29, 2008 at 9 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Daniels. I understand that you need lots of water, and a generator due to the conditions that exist in YOUR home. Don't get so worked up about a generalized comment. You, and the power you need to survive represent about 1% of the non-hospitalized population of Natchez. I really wasnt talking about your particular situation.
I'm talking about the people who drink a case of water a month, out buying 5 cases like there is going to be radioactive fallout from Gustav.
I'm talking about the people who drive maaaaybe 150 miles a month stoping at the gas station every 30 minutes to "top it off just incase"
Im talking about the "Panicky Petes" who are calling everyone in their speed dial about a Hurricane that is barely in the Northern Hemisphere. You know, the people that are scared, but at the same time happy that there is drama so they have something to talk about.
So, Daniels - stock up. Nobody is talking about you specifically, unless they say something like, "Danielsbakery bought all the water". See?
Posted by endofitall (anonymous) on August 29, 2008 at 9:55 a.m. (Suggest removal)
NTZglasshouses:
Get a life. Quit criticizing those who chose to be prepared. If it bothers you, shop other stores or other hours.
You should be more concerned with the thugs that are going to take what they want or need.
Be part of the solution, not part of the problem.
Posted by Teach4Peace (anonymous) on August 29, 2008 at 10:05 a.m. (Suggest removal)
All hotels in Jackson, MS and the surrounding tri-county area are booked! One thing I am glad to see, people are not waiting for someone else to take care of them, ONCE the situation is far too gone! I agree with NTZglasshouses in that people shouldn't panic. Think rationally and have a calculated plan.
Posted by dreamweaver61 (anonymous) on August 29, 2008 at 10:17 a.m. (Suggest removal)
NTZglasshouses; I'm assuming that you are either someone with a Boy Scouting or Military background. Meaning that you are now and are always ready for these type situations. If not then you'll be the one standing in the lines Wet, Cold, Hungry, Thirsty, Eat Up By Bugs, Sun Burnt, needing First Aid and many other things that could have been avoided with a little personal responsibility and preplanning.
Although a basic emergency kit should already be assembled at least people are trying to get ready in advance and not wait until it's here. The American Red Cross, The Weather Channel, NOAA and many other agencies are good resources to learn about personal emergency prepardness.
Posted by cooper3k1 (anonymous) on August 29, 2008 at 10:35 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Come on people...lighten up. It is good to be prepared for weather like this, however, their are some that go ballistic and I think that was who Ntzglasshouse was referring to. I have bought things I may need, but it was stuff that would last for a week. I work at a finance company and I have already had people calling wanting to borrow money for the "evacuation." We live too far from the coast to be evacuated!! These people live in a brick home!!!! This hurricane is predicted to get to a category 3; Katrina was a category 5. Some people just over react and that was what the previous post was about.
Posted by NTZglasshouses (anonymous) on August 29, 2008 at 10:39 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Actually, during Katrina, I opened my home to my friends family from Slidell. My family went to my parents house. I did not freak out last minute shopping. Buying every can of Chef-Boyardee in 6 counties is ridiculous.
I'm no boy scout, no military, no rambo...planning on surviving in the woods. I just use common sense. I wont be wet, cold, bug bitten, etc. I'll be volunteering to help those folks.
Dont get me wrong, being prepared is great, I just tend to have more than a days groceries on hand. Its the freaks that are funny to me. You know who you are. You have 2 flashlights that hold 2 "D" batteries each, and you buy 200 batteries. You buy 6 months worth of canned goods. You buy 5 cases of water for 2 people. You "top off" your gas tank twice a day, even though the needle is still on "F". Its not being prepared that is funny, its the people preparing for the Stone Age that makes me laugh.
If everyone would quit freaking out, it will be fine. Buy your normal groceries, and there will not be shortages next week. Fill up your car as you normally would, and there will not be a shortage next week.
Excuse me, I have to go dig a giant hole in my back yard to put in the storm shelter I bought yesterday, buy some guns to fend off looters, finish my warehouse that I'm building for supplies, Fill up my swimming pool with bottled water, buy every gas can in 3 states, board up my windows, learn how to cook family pets incase the food supply dries up and write "HELP" in rocks in my back yard.
Oh....when do I get my Fema debit card? I need a flat screen and a generator to run it while mankind as we know it ends next week.
Posted by cooper3k1 (anonymous) on August 29, 2008 at 10:48 a.m. (Suggest removal)
NTZglasshouses, that was good!!
Posted by sandyman7 (anonymous) on August 29, 2008 at 10:58 a.m. (Suggest removal)
OMG The writer of this article must know more than the weather people.!!!NEAR the coast.....come on...its still several hundred miles from any coast, and they can't say for certain where it will come ashore.....But it adds fuel to the fire to scare people...Shame on you ND.!!!!
Posted by ntzmom (anonymous) on August 29, 2008 at 11:15 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I am still laughing at NTZglasshouses...that was hilarious!
I was reading it to my husband, and I could barely talk due to laughing and crying!
THANK YOU for that laugh!
Prepare some, People, but dont freak out.
Posted by lookingout (anonymous) on August 29, 2008 at 11:25 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Teach4Peace i tried to book a room in jackson for next week tuesday of this week and they were already booked up.....i needed the room for other reasons than the storm but could not get one......
Posted by guy2co (anonymous) on August 29, 2008 at 11:28 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I went to walmart last night around 5:30 and everybody was freaking out about water. As I was going through the garden section I noticed several shelves of water, so I got some. They were not out of water, people were just to panicked to stop and ask or to check elsewhere. I then left walmart and went to walgreens and they had cases of water stacked about head high.
Posted by BeautifullyDefined (anonymous) on August 29, 2008 at 11:49 a.m. (Suggest removal)
OLDSHOOL, ok everytime I read ur comment I'm literally falling ova. PLEASE STOP MAKING ME LAUGH SO MUCH!!!!! (Wave grease) lmao!!! but ok people why are they buying water, are they shutting it off or something?
Posted by BeautifullyDefined (anonymous) on August 29, 2008 at 11:57 a.m. (Suggest removal)
NTZglasshouse, you are so funny!!!! That is the truth beacuse it's really not that serious.
Posted by gator (anonymous) on August 29, 2008 at noon (Suggest removal)
Just goes to show you how mean some people really are . Natchezglasshouses stop being a hypocrite ! Your original post is what you really meant . Someone comes along and disapproves of your comment and then you try to save face . There's nothing wrong with being prepared .
Posted by cooper3k1 (anonymous) on August 29, 2008 at 12:08 p.m. (Suggest removal)
There was nothing wrong with NTZglasshouses' comment...he was just talking about how MOST people are overreacting. I enjoyed the humor...what's bad is that some of it is true...lol
Posted by NTZglasshouses (anonymous) on August 29, 2008 at 12:53 p.m. (Suggest removal)
No Cooper, whats bad is people like gator defending stupidity. My first and last posts are pretty darn similar. And, I stand behind everything I say on here. I don't save face. Excuse me if I had to explain to someone with a medical condition that I wasn't targeting them directly.
I'm done with this article. I gotta go buy sandbags.
Posted by momoftwo23 (anonymous) on August 29, 2008 at 12:53 p.m. (Suggest removal)
NTZglasshouses - Why does it bother you so much that people are trying to prepare in case of the worse? You nor anyone else can actually predict where nor when the storm will hit or how much damage it will do. If people prepareded this much for Katrina, wouldn't it have been alot better?? Also, you mentioned something about people being happy there is drama so they have something to talk about. It sounds like you REALLY like drama otherwise you would not have posted something that you knew would make a few wiser and more intellecual people MAD!!
Posted by BeautifullyDefined (anonymous) on August 29, 2008 at 2:15 p.m. (Suggest removal)
lolololololol sand bags......lololol Ntzglasshouse is tearing me up!!!!!
Posted by cooper3k1 (anonymous) on August 29, 2008 at 2:43 p.m. (Suggest removal)
There is nothing wrong with preparing at all. However, alot of people tend to buy alot of things that they do not need as in some of the examples that NTZglasshouses wrote about. Probably the longest someone will be without electricity is 2 weeks. I live in McComb and was without it for 10 days when Katrina was here. People just need to think rationally that's all and I believe that was the point being made.
Posted by drawpaintsing (anonymous) on August 29, 2008 at 2:56 p.m. (Suggest removal)
If people want to spend their money on useless things, and if they really think they need them, let them spend it. It's already spent now and is non-refundable, so why argue about it.
Posted by dragonflyday (anonymous) on August 29, 2008 at 4:27 p.m. (Suggest removal)
ntchglasshouse,thank you for that one still lol.. it is true that some people are going crazy,and the people that will or do need it want beable to get anything.i went and filled up only 1 vehicle and 1 5gal jug and got my smokes and a few gro,like i always do,but what was funny is that 2 woman where fighting over the 2 bottles of water left.i told my husband i didn't want water,cause i didn't want anyone jumping on me. and my daughter being 6yrs old asked me why they were fighting,i told her cause of the water and she said why water is it not going to be here anymore. lol i told her no it will,and she said well you need to tell them 2 women that. lol...
Posted by dragonflyday (anonymous) on August 29, 2008 at 4:31 p.m. (Suggest removal)
oh yea if gas station mark thier gas up just cause of this storm,it's called gaugeding and the gas stations can be close down.
Posted by 1redneck (anonymous) on August 29, 2008 at 5:01 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Gator you are right ! Natchezglasshouse is wrong and don't even realize it . I find no humor in his comment either . Unless you are into sick humor .
Posted by justice (anonymous) on August 29, 2008 at 5:08 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Cooper3k1 why do you have to re-iterate comments made by natchezglasshouse or come to his aid ? You've defended this guy several times already . Some people are not into his so-called warped brand of humor .
Posted by starla (anonymous) on August 29, 2008 at 6 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Panic is big business!
It's good to be prepared, but we don't know what's going to happen with this storm right now. It could go anywhere.
Posted by MayJay (anonymous) on August 29, 2008 at 6:16 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I live on the coast & you can get a generator for $500. Gas went from $3.45 to $3.70 over night. Walmart has palets of a variety of water, bateries, can foods & what ever else. No shortages here.
I don't get why people in Natchez are panicking? Could someone please explain?
Posted by justice (anonymous) on August 29, 2008 at 8 p.m. (Suggest removal)
The worst thing that could happen in Natchez is a tornado or two . Those things are no joke ! I could see people way south of us in a panick . I second your statement MayJay . Why the panick , especially since Natchez is a shelter area ?
Posted by JohnQ (anonymous) on August 29, 2008 at 8:31 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I agree with glasshouses.Seems like everytime the NWS announces a tropical storm down by Jamaica, or Cuba, people in Vidalia, and Natchez, act like the sky is falling.I mean come on, It's not like we live in Florida.You dont hear about people in Florida evacuating to the 49 other states: And they are hit with 90% of the hurricanes in the U.S.
So when i see people loading up on cases of water, $200 dollars worth of D cell batteries,and bring out 55 gallon drums to stockpile gas, Im going to get alittle aggravated.But thats ok,cause im going to do the same thing glasshouses does, dig a hole for my storm shelter,stockpile my wearhouse, and buy lots of automatic weapons to fend off the people who are panicking.
(And this by no means is directed towards those who need extra supplies or may take offense to this.)
Posted by JohnQ (anonymous) on August 29, 2008 at 8:32 p.m. (Suggest removal)
And in epilogue any of you who might be frightened of the rain, the thunder, the lightning,and the power going off,just remember its okay, take a deep breath.
Posted by vilou09 (anonymous) on August 29, 2008 at 11:41 p.m. (Suggest removal)
oldschool, OMG hahahahaha.
you crack me up!! Am i the only one that caught that?? that was probably the funniest thing i've ever heard...
Posted by dragonflyday (anonymous) on August 30, 2008 at 12:55 a.m. (Suggest removal)
no you aren't the only one that caught that vilou09,it cracked me up i couldn't even tell my husband. but people are panicing for no reason, right now it's a category 1 right now at 80 mph. oh what about tropical storm hanna,has anyone heard anything on it.
Posted by presby (anonymous) on August 30, 2008 at 8:57 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Neva get in a hurry because you may have more problems than you can work yourself out of.
Posted by Hardcorps (anonymous) on August 30, 2008 at 10:52 a.m. (Suggest removal)
dragonflyday said:
"oh yea if gas station mark thier gas up just cause of this storm,it's called gaugeding and the gas stations can be close down".
I think "guage ding" is the sound the pump makes when your tank is full. Nothing to worry about.
With the influx of oil wealth and "gas price gouging" hades will be filling up fast with oil men and lawyers. Walter B. will be trying to annex more area down there. The fat cats who couldn't get their fat @$$ through the eye of a needle WILL NOT WANT to be annexed.
Posted by presby (anonymous) on August 30, 2008 at 11:12 a.m. (Suggest removal)
maybe some folks have neva ben in a flat line wind or tornado with 150mph winds. We don,t get it here much but it can happen
Posted by Teach4Peace (anonymous) on August 30, 2008 at 5:48 p.m. (Suggest removal)
LOL thanks Hardcorps, I didn't have to do it.
Posted by ntzmom (anonymous) on August 30, 2008 at 7:56 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Things are looking really scarey now.
Natchez will be in the right quadrent and we really could see some VERY bad things...trees down, power lines down, homes damaged. I am not laughing now.
I am very worried now
Posted by sayitloud (anonymous) on August 30, 2008 at 9:10 p.m. (Suggest removal)
They have turned both interstate I-55 & I-59 one ways.
Posted by Gimmeabreak (anonymous) on August 31, 2008 at 3:11 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Sorry, ignorance doesnt crack me up, but it looks like it doesnt take much to amuse some of you out there.
Posted by cooper3k1 (anonymous) on August 31, 2008 at 11:20 p.m. (Suggest removal)
justice, there's nothing wrong with agreeing with someone.
Posted by concernedNTZcitizen (anonymous) on September 3, 2008 at 11:20 p.m. (Suggest removal)
So, is being prepared a bad thing still people. Three days without lights and no ice in site was not fun.
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