NATCHEZ &045; Thousands of gallons of water and some 12,000 bags of ice arrived

Friday as part of a relief effort by federal authorities.

When five trucks rolled in Friday evening with emergency supplies of water and ice from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, local officials swung into gear to get the message out to Adams County &045; come and get it.

Workers from the Natchez Fire Department, Police Department and Public Works Department loaded hundreds of cars with ice and water starting at about 8 p.m.

The shipment took

four days to get here, in part because of delays in securing supplies.

&uot;I ordered this shipment Monday when the hurricane was here,&uot; said Tracy Floyd of the Adams County Civil Defense Office. &uot;It just took this long to get here.&uot;

Floyd made announcements on local television and radio Friday to let people know about the supplies. Announcements weren’t made earlier because FEMA could not tell her when the shipment would arrive, Floyd said.

Even with the delay, it was a welcome event for area residents, some of whom are still without power.

&uot;This is a great thing for Adams County, especially for people who don’t have power yet,&uot; said Darryl Grennell, president of the Adams County Board of Supervisors.

Many more residents said they could use the supplies to help ease budget strains while numerous relatives are living with them.

Natchez resident Mary Johnson said she had six family members from New Orleans living with her.

&uot;I just thought, let me come try and get a little something extra to help,&uot; Johnson said.

Helen Wyatt has 17 relatives staying with her family at her Vidalia house.

&uot;We have people from New Orleans staying with us,&uot; Wyatt said. &uot;My niece and her friend were in school down there and they had to come up here too.&uot;

Officials were working Friday night to get some of the water and ice to people at local shelters.