WLOX-TV - The News for South Mississippi: Suicide Threats Have Soared Since The Storm

WLOX-TV - The News for South Mississippi: Suicide Threats Have Soared Since The Storm: "Phyllis Kennybrew has been a Harrison County dispatcher for six years.

'When I come in, I just feel like I can help somebody,' she said.

Kennybrew lost her home to Katrina. She does her best to keep that disappointment out of the dispatch center, because she wants 911 callers to feel comfortable when they talk with her.

'Some people just need encouragement,' she said. 'And when they call in here, if we're down, then we can't give them that support that they need.'

But since Katrina, staying upbeat in the Harrison County dispatch center hasn't been easy. The calls that come in are more agonizing than ever before.

Just ask Capt. Walter Pitts. He's noticed, 'More people are under stress for the littlest things. It just ticks them off now.'

And when people get ticked off, what they do next can be very dangerous. Sheriff George Payne has learned that lesson the hard way.

'This weekend alone we had about eight attempted suicide reports that we had to respond to and deal with,' he said.

Eight calls from people who more than likely had seen too many hurricane debris piles -- or had one too many confrontations with insurance adjusters, contractors, or FEMA agents."