By Kati Weis
A severe winter storm that coated parts of the South with heavy snow and ice has left thousands without power and, in some areas, unable to follow boil-water advisories because they cannot heat water safely. In Mississippi, more than 36,000 homes and businesses have now gone into a second week without electricity after the storm damaged power lines and made many roads impassable.
Residents have been forced to depend on bottled water and portable gas heaters to get through sustained freezing temperatures. In the small town of Gravestown, volunteer firefighters have been checking on vulnerable neighbors, delivering water and basic supplies to households that have been in the dark for days.
James and Heather Albertson are among those trying to stay warm inside their home with their daughter and 4-year-old granddaughter gathered around a gas heater. A prolonged cold snap has hampered repair crews, and officials warn some communities could be without power for up to another 10 days. When asked whether they could manage that long, Heather Albertson said, “We don’t have a choice.”
Federal aid has been deployed: the Federal Emergency Management Agency has provided 90 generators to Mississippi since the storm hit last weekend. Subcontractors working for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers are placing those generators at critical locations, including long-term care facilities, hospitals, water districts and fire departments.
The storm’s reach extended beyond Mississippi. Nashville, Tennessee, experienced its largest outage on record, with more than 230,000 customers losing power at the peak of the event. Thousands there remain without electricity, and city leaders have created a commission to investigate Nashville Electric Service’s preparedness. “They should be prepared for this,” said Nashville City Council member Emily Benedict. “This is not new to them. The public relies on them to be prepared for events like this.”
In northern Mississippi, crews are working around the clock to reconnect about 7,000 customers. Progress has been slow where trees are down and roads are blocked. “Our crews are having to cut their way into some neighborhoods and some county roads to even be able to work on the power,” said Sarah Brooke Bishop, a spokesperson for the Northeast Mississippi Electric Power Association.