LOGISTICS

Posted: Friday, September 2 at 02:00 pm CT by Mike Brunker

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -– We’re getting off to a slow start, having spent the morning loading up with supplies that we figure we’ll need for the days and nights ahead and dealing with technical and logistical problems.

The first thing we did after waking was head to a nearby Wal-Mart to buy 25 gallons of water, foam sleeping pads, non-perishable food that doesn’t require cooking -- power bars, dried fruit and nuts and cookies -- and sanitary baby wipes, an item my wife thought might be appreciated by refugees who might not have been able to bathe for days.

Our supplies laid into our increasingly crowded Chevy Uplander minivan, we were ready to go except for a couple things – three FedEx packages containing extra cell phones, walkie-talkies, a water purifier and other supplies sent from our home office in Redmond, Wash., had not yet arrived and we were having difficulties with our satellite phone, which should allow us to file from areas where cell phone service has yet to be restored.

We returned to the hotel to pick up the packages but received only one of the three. After leaving instructions with the home office to see if they can get them forwarded to us, we headed toward Hattiesburg, Miss., where thousands of refugees are reportedly massed in a number of shelters.

The satellite phone proved more problematic. After repeated changes in the settings and several calls to the manufacturer’s technical support hotline, Andrew succeeded in getting it configured for use with his laptop (SEE PHOTO AT BOTTOM OF THIS ENTRY). But each time he dialed, the phone would go dead after just a few seconds.

That led to another lost hour on the southbound side of Interstates 59 and 20, during which these words were written.

We finally decided to proceed and hope for the best once we enter the area around Hattiesburg, where our best information indicates we will have no phone service.

With luck, you’ll hear from us again shortly.

FIRST DAMAGE

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