QUITMAN COUNTY, Miss. —Quitman County residents are facing other challenges as flood waters begin to recede.
The high water Quitman County experienced the last few weeks is finally drying out
“It’s miserable wading in and out,” Paul Shivers, a Quitman County local, said.
The water is down significantly at Shivers’ home now he can at least access his driveway.
Good news there, but now he’s dealing with a staph infection on his fingers.
“Due to dealing with the germs in the floodwater and the sandbagging,” Shivers said.
He’s grateful for all the help he’s received. It’s obvious Shivers prepared, his home surrounded by sandbags covered in plastic, volunteers pitching in.
“One man had a job with UPS. He took two days off from his work, on his own and come and helped,” Shivers said.
He said his family did too, along with church members at the Goodwill Worship Center.
Pastor Anthony Dean says he knows of at least three homes in the Locke Station community that were flooded. For now, the water might be going down.
“It’s a large cleanup taking place. Those who have damage to their homes, of course, they have to go through a cleanup phase, a dry out phase and the reconstruction so a lot of work ahead of us,” Dean said.
The community made 15 dump trucks worth of sandbags, the water receding now but the sandbags remain just in case.
“ We just had a truck come through and get a load of sandbags in one of our other areas close by. They’re still having water rising there,” Dean said.
With rain once again in the forecast this pastor is trying to stay positive.
“Hopefully we will be in the clear but you just never know what nature is going to do to you.”