Walthall County
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      • Regent's Introduction
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      • Restoration Video
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        • Donation Letter
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    • Ruby Bridges
    • When my world was young...
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        • Bogue Chitto River
        • Canoe and Trail Outpost
        • Hidden Springs Resort
        • Holmes Water Park
        • Paradise Ranch and Resort
        • Walker's Bridge Water Park
        • Lake Walthall
      • Parks Near Walthall County >
        • Bogue Chitto State Park - 22 miles
      • Scenic Rivers Region >
        • Bogue Chitto Water Park - 10 miles
        • Homochitto National Forest and Lake Okhissa
    • Shopping and Dining
    • Annual Festivals, etc.. >
      • Dairy Fest
      • Christmas Bazaar and Wagon Rides
      • Country Christmas Festival Craft Show
      • South MS Boucherie
      • Town-wide Halloween Party
    • Christmas in the Park >
      • Walking Tour
      • Christmas Bazaar and Wagon Rides
      • Country Christmas Festival Craft Show
    • Parades >
      • Martin Luther King Parade
      • Easter Parade and Hunt
      • Christmas Parade
    • Southwest Events Center & RV Hookups
    • Tuesday's Farmers Market
    • Old Town Market
    • China Grove Methodist Church
    • Railroad and Transportation Museum
    • Walthall Barn Quilt Trail
  • Chamber of Commerce
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    • Available Land and Buildings >
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    • Find a Job
    • Garbage Collection >
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    • Homestead Exemption
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    • Ownership Parcel Map
    • Retirement Info
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    • Voting Info
    • US Patent and Trademark Office
  • Maps
    • Supervisors District Map
    • Ownership Parcel Map
    • County Road Map
    • Tylertown Street Map


Release date: 
May 18, 2006

Release Number: 1604-355


TYLERTOWN, Miss. -- Roland Vandenweghe is a busy man. He's the Emergency Manager of Walthall County, Miss. He's the county's Department of Homeland Security coordinator. And its flood plain administrator. On the side, he raises chickens.

With only two years on the job before Hurricane Katrina hit, Vandenweghe said he learned much about catastrophic disaster response "on the fly." During the first five weeks after the storm he worked 10 hours a day, seven days a week in the county that lies about 60 miles north of New Orleans. Forty-one members of Vandenweghe's family evacuated to his home in Tylertown from New Orleans the day before the storm. Though he characterizes his home as big, he admits his relatives were jammed into every available space, including under the tables.

"We had never really gone through anything like this before," Vandenweghe said. "Neither had anyone else around here. I am personally grateful for all that MEMA and FEMA did to help us get through this disaster."

A man of many talents and a tenacious, persevering attitude, Vandenweghe said he had undergone five weeks of specialized emergency training prior to Katrina's raking most of Walthall County with near 100 mph winds and torrential rains.

Walthall County has a population of only 15,000 and a per capita income of $16,808. Tylertown, with slightly less than 2,000 persons, is the only incorporated city in the county. Of the 5,000 homes in the county, nearly 300 were destroyed and most of the rest received some level of damage. The county was overwhelmed with downed trees, broken limbs and other debris.

Cell phones did not work in Tylertown-only police radios. In order to stay in touch with the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency, twice a day he drove 50 miles (round-trip) to McComb for conference calls. Vandenweghe's home generator powered a satellite connection to the Internet, and he coordinated many relief efforts by e-mail because roadways were strewn with downed power lines and debris.

The community's power outage caused all sorts of problems. The Walthall County General Hospital's generator was only powerful enough to meet emergency power needs for critical operations areas. That meant no air conditioning in most of the building. Dialysis patients went without treatments for up to nine days because there was no water pressure. Emergency officials had no power to pump fuel stored in underground tanks for vehicles or generators.

Tylertown's two grocery stores and every retail food outlet were closed; however, it wasn't long before volunteers from the Michigan Baptist Relief Services showed up with their own 18-wheeler loaded with food, generators, portable dishwashers and mobile kitchens.

Soon they were serving 5,000 meals a day to hungry and grateful residents. Local volunteers joined in until more than 150 volunteers were staffing the operation. The school superintendent realized that frozen food in the school's cafeteria was about to go to waste. He ordered everything in the freezers to be cooked. School officials fed first responders and utility workers until the food ran out.

Volunteers from a Pennsylvania food bank helped Vandenweghe set up a donation center in an empty feed mill in downtown Tylertown. The Keystone State visitors donated their labor, time and equipment to wire the mill for lighting. Volunteers also set up an informal intake center, helping process FEMA applications until the Disaster Recovery Center was up and running. The sheriff's office and the administrators at the courthouse offered free space to those who needed to park their trailers.

Vandenweghe developed a flier with resource information and phone numbers and coordinated with the district U.S. Postal Service supervisor to have it delivered to every house in the county on the same day. It saved gasoline (a rare commodity) and assisted volunteers.
























  • Government
    • Town of Tylertown >
      • Tylertown Officials
      • Water, Sewer, and Public Works Department
      • Tylertown Fire Department
      • Tylertown Police Department
      • Municipal Court
      • Farmers Market
    • Walthall County >
      • Board of Supervisors >
        • District 1 - Larry Montgomery
        • District 2 - Ken Craft
        • District 3 - Doug Popwell
        • District 4 - Bruce Boyd
        • District 5 - Lloyd Bullock
        • Mississippi Association of Supervisors
      • Chancery Clerk >
        • Staff
        • 4th District Judges
      • Circuit Clerk >
        • Marriage License or Records
        • Voting Information
        • State Administrative Office
      • Coroner
      • District Attorney >
        • Assistant District Attorney
        • Forms and Information
        • Website
      • Emergency Manager >
        • Frequently Asked Questions
        • Emergency Plans
        • Mississippi Emergency Management
        • National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
      • Sheriff
      • Tax Assessor and Collector >
        • Appraisal Office
        • Pay Taxes Online
        • Ownership Parcel Map
        • Homestead Exemption
        • Frequently Asked Questions
    • Court System >
      • District Attorney >
        • Website
        • Assistant District Attorney
      • Supreme Court
      • Court of Appeals
      • Circuit Court >
        • Marriage License or Records
        • Voting Info
        • State Administrative Office
      • Chancery Court >
        • Chancery Clerk >
          • Staff
      • 4th District Judges
      • Justice Court
      • Drug Court
      • Tylertown Municipal Court
      • Youth Court
    • Mississippi Elected Officials >
      • Official State Website
      • Gov. Tate Reeves
      • Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann
      • Secretary of State - Michael Watson
      • Attorney Gen. Lynn Fitch
      • State Auditor - Shad White
      • State Treasurer - David McRae
      • Commissioner of Agriculture - Andy Gipson
      • Insurance Commissioner - Mike Chaney
      • Our State Legislators >
        • Sen. Barrett - Dist. 39
        • Rep. Butler - District 38
        • Rep. Porter - Dist. 98
        • Rep. Pigott - Dist. 99
        • Mississippi Legislature Website
    • U.S. Congressmen >
      • Congress.gov
  • Sheriff's Office
  • Online Payments
  • Community Info
    • Airport
    • Education System >
      • Walthall County Schools >
        • MS Scholars and Tech Masters Program >
          • 2018 MS Scholars and Tech Masters
      • Walthall County Career and Technology Center
      • Colleges and Universities >
        • Southwest Mississippi Community College
        • University of Southern Mississippi
    • Healthcare >
      • Hospitals >
        • Forrest General Hospital
        • Walthall General Hospital
        • Southwest Mississippi Regional Medical Center
      • Local Care >
        • Blackwell's Family Medicine
        • CMA Family Medical Clinic
        • Family Health Care Clinic
        • Walthall Clinic
        • Walthall General Hospital
        • Walthall Rural Health Clinic
        • Wesley Medical Group - Tylertown
      • Health Department >
        • WIC Program
    • Emergency Management
    • DIsaster Assistance >
      • Emergency Manager
      • Back To Business Mississippi Grant Program
      • SBA Economic Injury Disaster Loan Emergency Advance
      • SBA LOAN FOR APRIL 19, 2020 STORM
      • SBA PAYCHECK PROTECTION PROGRAM
    • Farmers Market
    • Old Town Market
    • Fire Departments
    • MSU Extension Service >
      • MSU Cares
    • Public Assistance >
      • Mississippi State Health Department
      • Mississippi Dept. of Health
      • Southwest Mississippi Opportunity
      • Southwest Mississippi Planning & Development District
    • Retire in Walthall County
    • Soil and Water Conservation District
    • US Post Office
    • Veteran Services
    • Walthall County Library
  • Historical Info
    • Genealogy Information >
      • Walthall County Library
      • MS Archives and History
    • Historic Courthouse & Jail
    • Railroad and Transportation Museum
    • China Grove Church
    • Founders Cemetery >
      • Regent's Introduction
      • The Restoration of Founders Cemetery
      • Restoration Video
      • Burials
      • Twilight Cemetery Tour
      • Donors >
        • Donation Letter
        • Donation Form
    • Gen. Edward Cary Walthall
    • Ruby Bridges
    • When my world was young...
    • Mississippi Archives and History
  • Events and Attractions
    • Calendar of Events
    • Outdoor Adventures & Activities >
      • Birdwatching
      • Canoeing, Kayaking, & Tubing
      • Hunting
      • Fishing in Walthall County >
        • Fishing Spots
        • How Weather Affects Fish Activity
        • Online Fishing License
        • FAQ - Fishing
      • Local Parks, Resorts, Lakes, and Rivers >
        • Bogue Chitto River
        • Canoe and Trail Outpost
        • Hidden Springs Resort
        • Holmes Water Park
        • Paradise Ranch and Resort
        • Walker's Bridge Water Park
        • Lake Walthall
      • Parks Near Walthall County >
        • Bogue Chitto State Park - 22 miles
      • Scenic Rivers Region >
        • Bogue Chitto Water Park - 10 miles
        • Homochitto National Forest and Lake Okhissa
    • Shopping and Dining
    • Annual Festivals, etc.. >
      • Dairy Fest
      • Christmas Bazaar and Wagon Rides
      • Country Christmas Festival Craft Show
      • South MS Boucherie
      • Town-wide Halloween Party
    • Christmas in the Park >
      • Walking Tour
      • Christmas Bazaar and Wagon Rides
      • Country Christmas Festival Craft Show
    • Parades >
      • Martin Luther King Parade
      • Easter Parade and Hunt
      • Christmas Parade
    • Southwest Events Center & RV Hookups
    • Tuesday's Farmers Market
    • Old Town Market
    • China Grove Methodist Church
    • Railroad and Transportation Museum
    • Walthall Barn Quilt Trail
  • Chamber of Commerce
    • About the Chamber
    • What Does Your Chamber Do?
    • Annual Chamber Awards
  • Economic Development
    • Available Land and Buildings >
      • 50,000 SF Facility
      • 17,600 SF Commercial Building
      • Industrial Property - up to 55 acres
      • 31-Acre Site
      • 20-Acre Site
    • Industrial Incentives & Benefits >
      • HUBZone Program
      • Skills Training Credits
    • Workforce >
      • Workforce Preparation
      • Workforce Training >
        • Skills Training Credits
      • WIN Job Center
    • Business Info >
      • Employment Security Commission >
        • Post a Job or Find a Job
        • WIN Job Center
      • Mississippi Development Authority >
        • MS Small Business Development Center
      • Secretary of State >
        • Business One Stop
        • Y'all Business - Secretary of State
      • Small Business Administration
      • Southwest Mississippi Partnership
      • Southwest Mississippi Planning and Development District
  • How do I ...?
    • Birth and Death Certificate Info
    • Car Tags
    • Pay taxes online
    • County History
    • Emergency Management
    • Driver's License Information
    • Employment Information
    • Find a Job
    • Garbage Collection >
      • White Goods and Tires
      • Area Landfills
    • Homestead Exemption
    • Interesting Mississippi Facts
    • Marriage License or Records
    • Ownership Parcel Map
    • Retirement Info
    • School Registration
    • Voting Info
    • US Patent and Trademark Office
  • Maps
    • Supervisors District Map
    • Ownership Parcel Map
    • County Road Map
    • Tylertown Street Map
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LINKS AND PHONE NUMBERS

Board of Supervisors   (601) 876-4947
Chamber of Commerce (601) 876-2680
Chancery Clerk  (601) 876-3553
Circuit Clerk  (601) 876-5677
Economic Development (601) 876-2680
Emergency Management (601) 876-8823

Sheriff  (601) 876-3481
Tax Assessor  (601) 876-4932
​
Town of Tylertown (601) 876-4011   

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Southwest Events Center
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