Frazier: Storm cleanup is a lesson in patience

Published 8:00 am Saturday, May 22, 2021

In a culture where it is expected that everything moves at a fast pace — it is hard to practice patience.

I know there have been times when I grumble about waiting in a fast food line, and writing letters is archaic in a world where technology allows us to communicate immediately via email and text messaging.

Patience is defined as the ability to wait or to endure without complaining or becoming annoyed.

Email newsletter signup

Sign up for The Vicksburg Post's free newsletters

Check which newsletters you would like to receive
  • Vicksburg News: Sent daily at 5 am
  • Vicksburg Sports: Sent daily at 10 am
  • Vicksburg Living: Sent on 15th of each month

How on earth did those folks that lived generations before us function?

Can you imagine living in a time when you had to wait for someone passing through your community to deliver the news by word of mouth?

Hmmm… That kind of sounds like Facebook, but I digress — the focus of this column is to promote patience, particularly in our community when it comes to debris cleanup.

I know there are some who are anxious about the length of time it is taking for this effort, and while waiting have thrown fits, bad-mouthed, jumped up and down and perhaps exhibited other impatient acts, but let me tell you, everything has and is being done to eradicate the mess as quickly as possible.

I know this because, for the past three weeks,  I had the privilege of being assigned to cover the Warren County Board of Supervisors board meetings and work sessions, and have listened to and even written a story about their discussions and updates on the cleanup from the February ice storm.

If you recall, that storm was a doozy, and the aftermath was nothing to shake a stick at!

Some of our little ole trees were no match to the inches of ice, sleet and rain that weighed down their branches, eventually causing them to break off and fall.

And fall they did — all over the county. In fact, the condition was so bad it was declared a federal disaster, which allowed our leaders to call in crews from outside of the county road department and contract with them to take care of the mess.

Months have gone by since the storm hit, and with a 600-mile area that had to be serviced, it took a bit of time to get everything picked up.

And now, thanks to the storm on St. Patrick’s Day, coupled with the EF-1 tornado that passed through the county on May 4, homeowners again are dealing with downed trees and limbs.

The latter storm was enough for some federal disaster dollars and the like, before a clean-up crew was contracted to take on the job.

The consecutive storms brought to mind a famous phrase from The Godfather: Part III, when Michael Corleone said, “Just when I thought I was out, they pull me back in.”

Just when the debris was cleaned up from the February storm, we are dealing with cleanup once again.

But remember, cleanup crews have been hired and will eventually make it to your street, so be patient. There are others who are in the same situation, or maybe even worse.

About Terri Cowart Frazier

Terri Frazier was born in Cleveland. Shortly afterward, the family moved to Vicksburg. She is a part-time reporter at The Vicksburg Post and is the editor of the Vicksburg Living Magazine, which has been awarded First Place by the Mississippi Press Association. She has also been the recipient of a First Place award in the MPA’s Better Newspaper Contest’s editorial division for the “Best Feature Story.”

Terri graduated from Warren Central High School and Mississippi State University where she received a bachelor’s degree in communications with an emphasis in public relations.

Prior to coming to work at The Post a little more than 10 years ago, she did some freelancing at the Jackson Free Press. But for most of her life, she enjoyed being a full-time stay at home mom.

Terri is a member of the Crawford Street United Methodist Church. She is a lifetime member of the Vicksburg Junior Auxiliary and is a past member of the Sampler Antique Club and Town and Country Garden Club. She is married to Dr. Walter Frazier.

“From staying informed with local governmental issues to hearing the stories of its people, a hometown newspaper is vital to a community. I have felt privileged to be part of a dedicated team at The Post throughout my tenure and hope that with theirs and with local support, I will be able to continue to grow and hone in on my skills as I help share the stories in Vicksburg. When asked what I like most about my job, my answer is always ‘the people.’

email author More by Terri Cowart