Sayle Oil Co. of Charleston is one of numerous Tallahatchie County businesses, offices, groups and individuals who are collecting donations to provide badly needed disaster assistance to the residents of areas hit hard by last Friday's tornadoes.
A 20-foot-long Sayle box truck was parked all day Monday on the southwest corner of the Sayle Service Center lot to receive public contributions of such items as bottled water, nonperishable food items, cleaning supplies, diapers, clothes and dog food.
"We were going to send water anyway and we decided to open it up to the community because we had a lot of interest," explained Jimmie Stennett, vice president of Sayle Oil Co. "It's been great to see everybody in the community come together and fill the truck up."
Stennett said 168 cases of water went in the truck first, and other items are being added as they come in.
"There's probably at least 50 grocery sacks piled in there right now," he added.
Stennett said the truck will be on-site between the hours of 7 and 11 a.m. Tuesday to accept any additional donations.
Shortly after 11, it will begin the long trek southwesterly to Rolling Fork in Sharkey County.
"We hope to send another truck in a week or so," Stennett added. "Anything we can do to help. It could have been us just as easily."
In a severe weather update at 11:20 a.m. Monday, the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency reported a total of 21 storm-related fatalities in the state, down from a previously reported 25.
"During a disaster, numbers are likely to change," MEMA noted.
Three fatalities were reported in Carroll County, three in Humphreys County, two in Monroe County and 13 in Sharkey County.
Dozens more individuals were injured.
Preliminary figures for damage to homes, public roads and buildings, the extent ranging from affected to destroyed, include the following, according to MEMA:
» Carroll County: 24 homes, 3 public roads
» Humphreys County: 55 homes
» Monroe County: 1,476 homes, 29 public roads, 3 utilities
» Grenada County: 1 home
» Prentiss County: 1 home
» Panola County: 15 homes, 12 public roads
The assessment remains ongoing in Sharkey County, where sections of the city of Rolling Fork were flattened.
