More than 153,000 Mississippi homes and businesses remain without electricity as of Monday at noon after Winter Storm Fern brought heavy ice, snow, and high winds to much of the state over the weekend.
According to PowerOutage.com, the outages affect approximately 10.5% of the state’s 1.46 million-plus tracked power customers, keeping Mississippi near the top nationally for storm-related disruptions. The only state with more is Tennessee while Louisiana, Texas, and Kentucky round out the states with the most outages.
The storm’s heaviest impacts remain in northern Mississippi, including the northeast hills and the northwest Delta region, where ice buildup led to extensive tree damage, broken poles, and downed lines. Southern Mississippi, including the Gulf Coast, has seen minimal effects.
Breakdown by utility
Northern rural cooperatives are continuing to report the highest proportional impacts:
- North Mississippi EPA: Over 23,700 customers affected (~78% of its base)
- Tishomingo County EPA: Around 12,600 customers affected (~81%)
- Alcorn County EPA: Around 13,300 customers affected (~56%)
- Tallahatchie Valley EPA: Around 10,000 customers affected (~35%)
RELATED: Tippah County customers facing potential weeks-long power outage
Entergy Mississippi, the state’s largest provider, has roughly 55,000 customers (~12% of its base) affected with outages scattered across central, northern, and some Delta regions.
Regional and county impacts
The northern part of the state, which was hit hardest, is still accounting for nearly all significant outages.
In northeast Mississippi, severe outages are still reported in counties such as Lafayette (~72% of customers without power), Tippah (~72%), Alcorn (~56%), and Tishomingo (~48%). In north-central Mississippi, Grenada (~63%) is seeing the most outages.
RELATED: Governor confirms 2 deaths, 2 injuries from Winter Storm Fern
As for the Delta, widespread ice-related damage, including sagging and broken power lines, has resulted in continued outages in counties such as Panola, Tallahatchie, Washington, Bolivar, Coahoma, and Sunflower. While some Delta counties have lower absolute numbers than more northern areas, impacts remain notable in localized pockets.
Southern counties continue to report almost no disruptions.
Restoration efforts and timelines
Crews from local utilities, plus mutual aid teams from neighboring states, are working around the clock to clear debris and rebuild lines. Priority is going to essential services (hospitals, water plants, first responders) and the broader outage clusters. Lingering ice and difficult access are slowing progress in northern and Delta counties. The outage number has decreased from a statewide high of 180,000 plus on Sunday.
No aggregated statewide restoration timelines are available, as estimates depend on individual damage assessments. Customers should check their providers’ websites for location-specific updates.
Safety reminders
As below-freezing temperatures persist, residents should:
- Avoid and report all downed lines. Assume they are energized and deadly.
- Run generators only outdoors to prevent carbon monoxide risks.
- Check in on vulnerable neighbors, particularly the elderly or those with electric-dependent medical devices.
- Save phone battery and use 911 solely for emergencies.
Progress is expected to be made on Monday as crews make gains, but residents in affected areas should prepare for extended outages. Keep up with the latest forecast by clicking here.