Governor Tate Reeves today announced that the state of Mississippi continues to respond to the severe winter weather impacting the state. Tragically, two fatalities have been reported to the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency (MEMA): One in Hinds County and one in Tishomingo County. Additionally, two injuries have been reported: One injury in Hinds County and one in Smith County. Life safety continues to be the state of Mississippi’s top priority.
The state of Mississippi continues to work with county, state, federal, and private sector partners to respond to this storm. 47 counties and the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians have reported damage and impacts from the storm. FEMA is currently on the ground in Mississippi to assist in the distribution of 30 generators and fuel, as well as support response efforts. MEMA continues to deploy generators, bottled water, Meals Ready to Eat, cots, and blankets to counties, with more supplies coming to Mississippi from federal partners today. The state of Mississippi thanks FEMA and President Trump for their continued support.
There are approximately 153,000 without power across the state. Weather hazards, debris, and road conditions are making it difficult to restore power. The Mississippi Department of Transportation is constantly working to make roads passable. They are also coordinating with local power companies to help clear roadways of any downed power lines. Power companies and utility crews are working tirelessly to restore power as quickly as possible.
Mississippi is still in the damage assessment phase. Those assessments are ongoing, and the state of Mississippi is working with local emergency managers to get a complete picture of damage in their respective communities. Once those assessments are complete, the state of Mississippi will deploy additional resources as necessary to help communities recover.
Dangerous cold is expected to continue throughout Tuesday morning. Mississippians are encouraged to stay home, stay off the roads, and stay warm. Residents who need to warm up may seek shelter at a county or city-run warming center in their area. More than 60 warming centers are open throughout the state. A list of those centers can be found here. Travel remains dangerous in many areas. Mississippians are encouraged to stay off the roads if possible and only travel in areas affected by winter weather if absolutely necessary. For more information on road conditions, go to MDOTtraffic | Powered by MDOT.
The following is PRELIMINARY and will change through the assessment process. The following 47 counties and the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians have reported storm damage:
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Adams
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Alcorn
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Attala
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Bolivar
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Calhoun
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Carroll
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Chickasaw
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Choctaw
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Claiborne
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Clarke
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Clay
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Coahoma
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Desoto
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Grenada
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Hinds
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Holmes
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Humphries
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Itawamba
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Jefferson
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Lafayette
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Leake
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Leflore
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Lowndes
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Marshall
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Monroe
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MS Band of Choctaw Indians
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Newton
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Oktibbeha
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Panola
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Pontotoc
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Prentiss
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Quitman
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Rankin
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Sharkey
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Smith
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Sunflower
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Tallahatchie
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Tate
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Tippah
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Tishomingo
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Tunica
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Union
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Warren
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Washington
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Webster
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Wilkinson
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Yalobusha
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Yazoo
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The state of Mississippi encourages residents who’ve sustained damage from this winter weather event to do the following:
- File an insurance claim.
- Take photos of the damage to the home.
- Report damage to their county/MEMA via the self-report tool.