Many Tippah County residents could be without power for weeks after Winter Storm Fern swept through the area, knocking out electricity for more than 9,000 customers.
The Tippah Electric Power Association (TEPA), an electric cooperative that partners with the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) to provide power to most of the county’s homes and businesses, said Sunday that the local electric system sustained “catastrophic damage” due to the icy conditions.
“TVA is working to get its 161-kilovolt transmission line repaired, but at this time, there is no estimation of when that will take place,” the release said. “Our TEPA linemen are not working because of safety concerns. We will get through this, but we are looking at weeks instead of days to restore power to every member.”
As of Sunday afternoon, TEPA accounted for 8,438 of the county’s 9,250 reported outages, according to PowerOutage.com.
Although the storm system has moved out of the region, below-freezing temperatures are expected to persist into the week. Tippah County schools will be closed Monday, and TEPA officials are urging residents to stay off the roads to allow crews to make way for ice removal and restoration efforts to continue.
“During this time, make sure to check on your neighbors, family, and friends,” the release continued. “We will all need to be prepared for a very long restoration period. There are very, very dangerous conditions. PLEASE stay off the roads and stay at home for your safety.”
Gov. Tate Reeves said on a social media that the state is in contact with TEPA and TVA to assist.