Living Day to Day:
Tchula, its people and the water surrounding them are ignored by powerful officials. They fight for survival.
Photos by Eric Shelton
Wednesday, May 15, 2019, TCHULA — Elizabeth Coats has reached an agreement with Tony Mansoor, her landlord, to condemn the trailer in which she has lived for 12+ years. The walls of the trailer are made from sheetrock that is deteriorated and covered in photos, art and clothing. Coats also manages her mental illness while taking care of an elderly disabled man. She must borrow money often to purchase their medicines as both are on a fixed income. The Salvation Army assisted them in fleeing Tchula Lake, which was flooded nearby, and they stayed at a motel for five nights during the surge. They are now back home with very few options. Coats isn’t the only one. Many of her neighbors are living in similar dire circumstances after the flood that began at the end February and continued into March. This disaster that threatened the lives and health of Tchula residents began long before rising rivers and heavy rains caused water to seep into their neighborhoods. Officials have not declared the Holmes County area a disaster zone. This is the first step to receiving federal aid. Residents who have been living in survival mode for many weeks are still waiting for help, nearly 12 weeks after the storms started. Geneva Williams, a resident who has been suffering from sewage backup due to flooding in her yard, said that Tchula appears like it is at its lowest point. More than 60% of the 1,850 inhabitants of Tchula live in poverty. It is consistently one the poorest areas in the country. Ninety nine percent of the residents are black. This once-prosperous Delta town, built on farming, was transformed by white flight and mechanization into a desert. It has some of the most fertile soils in the country. “The flood only exacerbated an already grave situation. It almost caused complete destruction. It will require serious resources to overcome. Calvin Head, a local farmer said that this is the bottom line. Annie Horton’s trailer is located behind Williams’ home and is the closest to Tchula Lake. It was once a neat space with simple country decor and sheer floral curtains. However, it became inundated by several feet of water. Storm water flooded the home, knocking over books, binder, and a box with corn flakes from shelves. It also opened cabinets, opened cabinets, and left papers and trash all over the floor. The storm water left behind an overwhelming moldy smell and a thick layer of dust in the earth-colored area. In a small bedroom, thick, fuzzy, black-colored spores cover the lower half of the walls. It is impossible to save the home and almost everything within it. Horton will live with her mother until she finds a home. Horton stated, “When you see the water continually rising, you know that this is it.” “The divorce was my first loss. This time it was the water. It’s very sad.” Some residents received assistance from the state to temporarily relocate during the flood. The American Red Cross has delivered bottled water, while churches have collected food, clothes, and cleaning supplies. “Everybody has been bringing truckloads full of water. Water is $2 at Dollar General. Head stated that these people require home repair. Tchula’s lack of attention, including from city leaders, prompted William Barber, a long-time civil rights activist, to visit the area in May. A rally was held at Good Samaritan Ecumenical Church Thursday to hear the stories of those who were impacted. Jacqueline Fisher, resident whose street was inundated and whose water has a strong odor, stated that she believes it is the city’s responsibility to ensure citizens are protected. They didn’t. They didn’t offer any assistance. Even though we were inundated by the flood, we still received water and utility bills. That is not right. They could have done more for us.” Tchula Alderman Leroy Buchanan reached out to Buchanan by telephone. She said that the flood zones Buchanan is referring to were established more than a decade ago. “Most of them received FEMA relief in 2005. The majority of people chose to remain there…. What’s all the fuss about? People are crying and saying that they don’t want to do anything because of what? Who am I to tell you what’s happening now? What do you want to interview? It’s a flood area. They live in a flood area. Buchanan stated that he doesn’t know if the people whose homes were flooded have the financial resources to move. “I get up every morning to provide for my family. He said that Board of Alderman was not his job. “I can’t tell nobody else what to do.” ———————————————— Tchula is just one part of the Mississippi Delta touched by interconnected flooding, the result of historically high levels in the Mississippi River and overflow in its tributary, the Yazoo River, which runs through Tchula Lake. 16 of the 20 Mississippi counties that were declared disaster zones after the flooding, tornadoes, and storms are over, are majority-white. To be truthful, it’s all political. Head stated that disaster assistance will depend on where and who you are. Official count for Holmes County is _x000D.
— One of the most poorest and sickest counties in the state. _x000D
— is two, which is a clear misrepresentation. However, assessments are ongoing. A spokesperson for Mississippi Today explained that the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency has not received a complete assessment from the county. This is what the state will need before it can contact Federal Emergency Management Agency to do a joint assessment. Mississippi Today received several calls from Gyrone Granderson, Holmes County Emergency Management Coordinator. Head stated that even Holmes County’s initial assessment appeared out of touch. “I believe those numbers were very, very deceptive. Head stated that although I have heard the number 31, 21 was my guess, you can count down to 100. “It’s actually more people that have been affected.” Harriett Carter has lived with her beige shotgun house, with sage green trim and large, colorful Christmas bulbs for 35 years. The windows are covered with thin plastic sheets. The yard is covered with wooden pallets that served as a bridge for floodwaters. The dampened floors run from Carter’s dark living room to her bedroom. A small blue fluorescent tube connects to her aquarium. Carter claimed that an examiner, who she didn’t know the source of, told her he could smell mold but that no one has been back to discuss how to address it. Carter stated that they didn’t mention any plans to stop work being done. Carter’s house, with its low plywood ceilings and walls covered with warped siding, is becoming increasingly difficult to live in due to the recent storm damage. Carter stated that “it’s not getting better.” It has been weakened by the water that sat for weeks under her house. Carter claimed she was granted $800 by MEMA last month to help with her temporary accommodation. She stayed with her daughter every night until the water receded, but the money did not go far in the repair of the damage. She said, “I only need help fixing my house.” FEMA declared the region a disaster area in the 1980s after the last major flood. Carter was able to have her floors and walls replaced and she received funds for clothing and other supplies. Carter stated, “It didn’t take long.” Eric J. Shelton, Mississippi Today/Report For America ———————————————— For those most impacted, problems extend far beyond the weather; needed solutions go far beyond temporary disaster relief. Coats said, “These officials and other things, they must get together.” “I am fed up with everything in Tchula. It doesn’t seem like they want anything here in Tchula.” Residents have few options to make ends meet in Tchula, whether it is to build wealth or financial security. According to U.S. Census Bureau figures, less than 40% of Tchula’s adult population is involved in the labor market. The unemployment rate for those who try to work is almost five times that of the state. There are few jobs. The best, though most difficult, work in the area’s agricultural sector is maintaining large irrigation systems and fixing machines. This often happens for out-of state farm owners. Quinton Harris, a farmhand, said that people have been taking the electricity cable to the center-pivots which spray water onto the fields. His job is to replace it. Although he said he earns good money, he cannot work when the land floods. Harris stated that it’s not easy to make money when there’s no work. “Next week, it’s possible that I won’t get anything but two or three days… I try and hold onto the little money that I have.”