Thursday, October 27, 2005
Arrival to Biloxi--Day 1
Well you can stop pinching me cause we are here. We arrived in Biloxi at 3:30 today and we were met by Salvation Army personnel, who took us of quickly to headquarters. As we were flying over the area we could see what we though were blue roofs but as we got closer we realized it was blue tarps on the roofs of houses.
The young man who was responsible to get us to headquarters told us that around 30% of the houses for Gulfport & Biloxi were lost and of the remainders 70% were badly damaged.
We figured the drive was around 35 minutes from the airport to the headquarters. While we were driving along the highway, which would be comparable to the 401, we saw debris along the roadside. We saw fridges, stoves, and TV’s couches, transport trucks ripped in half and so forth. We saw all kinds of garbage and uprooted trees all over. More than you can ever image it to be. So try to image 35 minutes driving down the 401 and seeing that down both sides as far as you can see in all four directions.
Now as we enter the town area of Biloxi driving down the streets you see houses ripped in half, obstructing the road, plants flattened and debris all over the place. We saw tents pitched on properties where we are told people are waiting for Fema to deliver them the trailer homes.
We are coming nearer and nearer the head quarters. I had no idea what I was expecting but I saw canteen after canteen after canteen. We lined up to get checked in. We recieved our assignments, our t-shirts, sweatshirts, hats & our idea. Now for most of we are long into our 12th or more hour today and very little to eat. We then were rushed off to our hotel. All checked in we ordered some pizza for our team. We ate together and now all head off to our rooms to settle down for a good nights snooze in order to be prepared for 1st day in the field.
We are to be downstairs ready to go by 7:15 and we will then return to headquarters for devotionals, breakfast and then out into the field. We have an idea what we will be doing but more on this tomorrow.
Good Night & God Bless
LoveAlexis
The young man who was responsible to get us to headquarters told us that around 30% of the houses for Gulfport & Biloxi were lost and of the remainders 70% were badly damaged.
We figured the drive was around 35 minutes from the airport to the headquarters. While we were driving along the highway, which would be comparable to the 401, we saw debris along the roadside. We saw fridges, stoves, and TV’s couches, transport trucks ripped in half and so forth. We saw all kinds of garbage and uprooted trees all over. More than you can ever image it to be. So try to image 35 minutes driving down the 401 and seeing that down both sides as far as you can see in all four directions.
Now as we enter the town area of Biloxi driving down the streets you see houses ripped in half, obstructing the road, plants flattened and debris all over the place. We saw tents pitched on properties where we are told people are waiting for Fema to deliver them the trailer homes.
We are coming nearer and nearer the head quarters. I had no idea what I was expecting but I saw canteen after canteen after canteen. We lined up to get checked in. We recieved our assignments, our t-shirts, sweatshirts, hats & our idea. Now for most of we are long into our 12th or more hour today and very little to eat. We then were rushed off to our hotel. All checked in we ordered some pizza for our team. We ate together and now all head off to our rooms to settle down for a good nights snooze in order to be prepared for 1st day in the field.
We are to be downstairs ready to go by 7:15 and we will then return to headquarters for devotionals, breakfast and then out into the field. We have an idea what we will be doing but more on this tomorrow.
Good Night & God Bless
LoveAlexis
# posted by Alexis @ 10:31 p.m. 
