"When you have a chance, just let us know you are OK and if you need anything we can provide besides thoughts and prayers.
"Best wishes,
Carol"

Today was my first day back at work.  My house has some minimal damage, mostly from falling trees and missing shingles, but is located "south of the railroad tracks" and now largely inaccessible in our town (Long Beach).  While we were taking out necessities, the power was restored last Tuesday, but we won't have water or sewer for the foreseeable future (everyone has a different story as to how long).  We're being farmed around among friends from our church till we can get a temporary apartment, hopefully with another friend.  I spent the last week making the necessary contacts with insurance and FEMA and boarding our cat, which we reluctantly left.  There are two more houses and a wooded lot south of us; everything farther south is pretty much gone.  It's unlike anything I've ever experienced, and I don't want to do it again anytime soon!  But we're much better off than so many others, so I can't complain.  

Our county records were fortunate.  Both courthouses are okay - there were some water leaks in the Biloxi office, but as far as we know, none on the records.  Our offsite facility lost a couple of roll-up doors (the owner said he's already ordered some stronger ones) that let rain blow onto a few boxes on the ends of nearby shelves.  I spotted only a couple of them as ours, and they are going to re-box them for us.  My record room has an odd odor that is giving me a bit of a headache; Larry M recommended, among other things, baking soda to get rid of the smell, but that's hard to come by around here, so I may try charcoal as an alternative (but not Matchlight!).  

Our state archives has already been down on the coast several times; the other counties weren't as fortunate, but I'm not sure anything is too serious.  The Jackson County (Pascagoula) archives office had a couple of feet of water in it; they're contracting with a recovery service to pick up them and other records later this week.  

Thanks to all for your prayers and concerns!  

Tim Barnard, Records Management Clerk
Harrison County, Mississippi
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Phone (228) 865-4121 Fax (228) 865-4140

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