Mississippi is called The Hospitality State with good reason. Honestly, I have lived in several states and traveled to a lot of places, but I have never experienced true hospitality like we share here in our state. And this past week here in Tupelo and the surrounding areas, that spirit of hospitality has been on display during a tough situation.
In case you might not be aware, on March 12, several Atmos Energy workers were doing routine work on a gas line when a sudden explosion (It was technically called “a sudden release of pressure.”) occurred. That “sudden release” sounded like a jet engine and was reportedly heard three miles away. Sadly, two workers were left with critical injuries, and one worker sustained minor injuries.
Also due to this accident, around 20,000 area Atmos customers were left without gas – more than a week at the time this story was written. In fact, on the first night of the incident, local Atmos workers went door-to-door to cut off all gas service to each customer. Even at midnight, that initial task was nowhere near completion. Before the restoration process could even begin, it took another day or so to get all customers safely shut off, including homes and businesses.
Then, after the gas lines were off and the initial problem was fixed, Atmos called in workers from eight other states to help restore gas to all its Tupelo and surrounding area customers. For me, and I am sure, for others in our town, it was a sight to behold when hundreds of trucks from multiple states reported to one spot for deployment.
And just think! Those workers came to a place where almost all restaurants and hotels were without gas. So, conditions for residents and guests alike were definitely not ideal. Actually, it was pretty stressful, in many cases.
But here is where the Mississippi spirit of hospitality showed up and showed out!
Area restaurants, hotels, churches, ministries, and even individual citizens began doing what they could to help their neighbors and the Atmos workers who were basically working around the clock to help.
I know of neighbors who took in neighbors. And I saw others simply offer friends the use of their hot water for baths and showers.
I witnessed businesses that were literally garnering no income whatsoever because of this gas outage bring food to the workers. Time after time, they pulled into that deployment parking lot, bringing any food they could.
People with grills of all sizes went to work cooking three meals a day. And the truth was, many of those offering help needed aid themselves.
I saw larger ministries with shower trucks pull into spots to offer citizens and visiting Atmos workers a free, hot shower. Plus, countless small churches and ministries opened their doors to those in need.
I heard the Atmos workers praise the kindness and thoughtfulness of our citizens. And conversely, I saw dozens and dozens of social media posts about the caring and heroic deeds of those Atmos workers.
Now, as I sit here and write about this emergency situation, I realize some folks are still waiting to get their gas service restored. I can also imagine that some ensuing incidents were not worthy of mention or praise. And I am certain that complaints were voiced somewhere in this area – if nothing other than the whines (and shrieks) of school-age kids getting ready for school with cold showers.
But for the most part, what I saw, heard, and read made me prouder than ever to call Mississippi my home. And no, we will never forget this moment in time. It will go down in the oral and written history of our region as an emergency situation. But when we look back years from now, I believe that most of all, we will remember the kindness of others around us.
So, in closing, I ask that you join me in prayer for those three injured Atmos workers and the thousands of other workers who will soon head home after serving a grateful group of customers.
Last of all, I salute every hospitable act of patience, kindness, and mercy that was extended over the past few days. Thank you, North Mississippi, for making us all proud to be your fellow Mississippians.
