BA4100 CREW GOT TRAPPED IN WX AND WITH FUEL RUNNING DANGEROUSLY LOW; REQUESTED VECTORS TO THE NEAREST VMC SUITABLE ARPT.

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TOOK OFF XA13. DEST: MEM. ALTERNATE: MKL. FUEL LOAD: DEST; RESERVE; ALT +200 LBS CONTINGENCY. UPON ARR IN MEM AREA; WE WERE INSTRUCTED TO HOLD WITH EFC OF XB20 DUE TO TSTMS. UPON ARR AT HOLDING FIX EFC WAS EXTENDED TO XA35. WE ADVISED THAT WE DIDN'T HAVE ENOUGH FUEL TO HOLD THAT LONG; SO WE WOULD HAVE TO DIVERT TO ALTERNATE IN JACKSON; TN. (MKL) IMMEDIATELY. UPON ARR IN JACKSON; WX DETERIORATED. WE SHOT 3 APCHS AND MISSED ALL. RAIN WAS SO HVY; TORE THE CAPT'S WINDSHIELD WIPER OFF; FO SIDE WIPER STUCK IN UP POS. WE ASKED IF WX WAS IMPROVING IN MEM. THEY ADVISED THAT NO ARRS ACCEPTED DUE TO WX. WE ADVISED OF CRITICALLY LOW FUEL SIT; AND INOP WINDSHIELD WIPERS; AND NEED VECTORS TO NEAREST VFR ARPT. THEY ADVISED ARPT NEAR DYERSBURG; TN. ARNOLD FIELD; HALLS; TN (M31) A 4700 FT RWY. WE LANDED SAFELY AT XC28; AND OBTAINED GND TRANSPORTATION FOR 27 PAX TO MEM. ALTHOUGH THE NUMBERS AND FORECASTS IN THE FLT PLAN WERE ALL GOOD AND LEGAL; THE FACT IS; THE ALTERNATE (MKL) WAS JUST TOO CLOSE TO THE DEST (MEM) CONSIDERING THE WX SYS SO WIDESPREAD IN THAT AREA. ANOTHER PROB WE ENCOUNTERED; WAS THE INABILITY TO COMMUNICATE WITH COMPANY DISPATCH THROUGH DIAL ACCESS IN THAT AREA; BECAUSE IT WAS INOP. SO; A RAMPER IN MEM HAD TO RELAY OUR MESSAGES TO STL OPS THROUGH THE LANDLINE. WE SHOULD HAVE BEEN ABLE TO COMMUNICATE DIRECTLY WITH COMPANY; BUT FOR SOME REASON THEY DON'T FIX THINGS UNTIL A SERIOUS SIT OCCURS.