Anderson Jones Sr., 59, navigates through flood water to get to his home in Fitler, Miss., Monday, April 15, 2019. Credit: Eric Shelton
Although hundreds of people have been displaced due to the flooding in Warren County, one resident remains to save his home since childhood.
Anderson Jones Sr., a resident of Filter, Miss., walks a little less than a mile every week to get to his home where floodwater serves as the view from his front porch. After Jones parks his car, he uses a small boat to navigate to through flood water then uses an ATV for the last part of his journey home, now surrounded by sandbags to keep water out. Jones was injured in a serious car accident in the 1990s that left him disabled.
His disability makes his journey home every week even more challenging. The photos in this gallery show the strenuous circumstances of his journey.
Anderson Jones Sr., a 59-year-old lifelong Fitler, Miss. resident, prepares to walk through flood waters to get to his home on Monday, April 15, 2019. Jones, who is disabled, has to travel a little less than a mile to get to his home that is surrounded by flood water.
Flood water is seen in front of Anderson Jones Sr.’s home in Fitler, Miss., Monday, April 15, 2019.
Anderson Jones Sr. has to travel by boat and ATV due to the flooding surrounding his home in Fitler, Miss., Monday, April 15, 2019.
Anderson Jones Sr.’s dog, Patch, runs besides the ATV as Jones pulls up to his home in Fitler, Miss., Monday, April 15, 2019.
After using a boat to get to his home, Anderson Jones Sr. uses an ATV for the remainder of his journey through flood water to get to his home in Fitler, Miss., Monday, April 15, 2019.
Anderson Jones Sr., 59, pulls his boat into the flood water in Fitler, Miss., Monday, April 15, 2019.
Anderson Jones Sr., 59, paddles through flood water to get the medicine that he left in his car in Fitler, Miss., Monday, April 15, 2019.
Anderson Jones Sr., 59, gets out of his boat and prepares to walk back to his car to get to the medicine he left behind in Fitler, Miss., Monday, April 15, 2019.
Flood water is seen on Anderson Jones Sr.’s journey home in Fitler, Miss., Monday, April 15, 2019.
Anderson Jones Sr., 59, stops to take a phone call from his daughter as she checks on him during his journey home in Fitler, Miss., Monday, April 15, 2019. Jones had to travel back to his vehicle to pick up medicine that he left behind.
Anderson Jones Sr., 59, walks through flood water Monday, April 15, 2019. Jones was hurt in the 1990s after a car accident, which makes it more difficult to get to his home.
A road closure sign is seen in Issaquena County on Monday, April 15, 2019.
Anderson Jones Sr., who was injured in the 1990’s, carefully walks around the flooding near his home Monday, April 15, 2019. The journey to his home is a little less than a mile.
Anderson Jones Sr., 59, prepares his boat as he gets ready to travel across flood water to get to his home his in Fitler, Miss., Monday, April 15, 2019.
Anderson Jones Sr., 59, positions his boat as he gets ready to travel across flood water to get to his home in Fitler, Miss., Monday, April 15, 2019.
Anderson Jones Sr., 59, navigates through flood water to get to his home in Fitler, Miss., Monday, April 15, 2019.
Anderson Jones Sr., 59, adjusts the small motor on his boat during his journey to his home in Fitler, Miss., Monday, April 15, 2019.
Anderson Jones Sr. pulls up to his house on an ATV after using the vehicle and boat to travel through the flood water that surrounds the path to his home in Fitler, Miss., Monday, April 15, 2019.
Anderson Jones Sr. parks his ATV near a barrier surrounding his house that is meant to keep flood water out of his home in Fitler, Miss., Monday, April 15, 2019.
Anderson Jones Sr.’s bag of food and medicine that will last him for a week.
Anderson Jones Sr. looks at the flooding near his home in Fitler, Miss., Monday, April 15, 2019.
Anderson Jones Sr. enters his home after traveling by boat and ATV due to the flood water surrounding his house in Fitler, Miss., Monday, April 15, 2019.
Anderson Jones Sr. turns on a light in his home after traveling through flood water in Fitler, Miss., Monday, April 15, 2019. Jones’ journey is a little less than a mile.
Anderson Jones Sr. points at a photo of him and his child on the wall in his living room.
A photo of Anderson Jones Sr.’s mother, Mary Jones, in front of his family’s home in Fitler, Miss.
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Photo Gallery: Flood victim Anderson Jones Sr.
by Eric J. Shelton, Mississippi Today May 20, 2019
Eric J. Shelton was a 2018 corps member in Report for America, and joined the team as our first photojournalist. A native of Columbia, Miss., Eric earned his bachelor’s in photojournalism from the University of Southern Mississippi. He was a multimedia journalist for Abilene Reporter-News, chief photographer for the Hattiesburg American and photo editor for the Killeen Daily Herald before joining our team June 2018. He rejoined Mississippi Today as our health photojournalist in January 2022.