Good Morning All,

Good News! At long, long last we have all our power restored as well as
computer service. However, my "computer geek" has advised me he did all
he could to reclaim my lost emails these past few weeks but no luck.
So, if you have sent me an email and I did not respond, chances are it
was lost. Sorry.

An update on the conditions in our area since the tornadoes, storms,
and flooding of the MS River into the mainlands of TN and MS.

As many of you know, Smithville Mississippi was completely destroyed by
an F5 tornado. Its just down the road from us near Tupelo. We have a
pair of boys (Zeke and Petey) from Smithville and a young boy who was
a survivor of that tornado. His mother died from her injuries when the
tornado leveled and destroyed their home. She was found a mile and a
half from the site according to the Red Cross. Oddly enough, we found
out about young Jeffrey from a nurse who worked at the trauma center of
the children's hospital where he was flown to after he was found. The
nurse is the wife of one of my husband's coworkers at UPS. The ferrets
were found in their cage under the rubble near the boy. The two dogs
are also recovering and expected to survive. The ferrets are doing
much, much better and are finally eating on their own. Their wounds
are mending well and the broken foot is healing as expected.

There were upwards of over 50 tornadoes that passed in one fashion or
another in the TN/MS area. The states are scattered with destruction
from these massive storms. Many folks were displaced from their homes
and businesses leveled. The recovery has finished and the long road to
rebuilding has begun. Many people and pets (and livestock) were killed
or injured. The shelters are overflowing with displaced animals.

And, that was BEFORE the historic flooding of the Mississippi
River....it's a real mess here.

Now because of the massive flooding up and down the TN/MS areas, many
more folks who were untouched or survived the storm systems are now
having to deal with their homes and businesses completely flooded and,
quite possibly destroyed, by the River.

 ...and lookout LA here it's coming to you big time!

We currently have 6 ferrets and a hamster who are residing with us
for the short term...could be 3-4 weeks...while their owners are in
shelters because their homes are underwater. It's really yucky......!
It could be even longer than that if you consider many of these homes
are going to be filthy nasty after the waters recede. So, needless to
say, we are overflowing here with ferrets...and a hamster who came
with his ferret friends.

We are working with the local rescue groups once again as well as the
Red Cross. We are getting good at this folks! Unfortunately, we have
had lots of experience lately.

Our thoughts and prayers are with all of those who lost soo much these
past few weeks with the storms and now the flooding mess. I say prayers
each night for the folks in Tuscaloosa. Soo tragic.

And the summer is yet to come....let's all pray for a quiet peaceful
hurricane season.

God bless....

Maren Qualls
Raisins From Heaven Ferret Rescue & Sanctuary
Hernando, MS

[Posted in FML 7060]