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Oxford Today
By the People, for the People
25,000 in Northeast Mississippi Still Without Power Weeks After Ice Storm
Residents struggle with financial burdens and damage as restoration efforts continue
Feb. 5, 2026 at 5:23pm
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Nearly two weeks after a catastrophic ice storm hit northeast Mississippi, around 25,000 customers are still without power as of February 5th. Families like the Goldens are dipping into savings to pay for propane, generators, and other expenses to stay warm, while also dealing with damage to their homes. Power companies say the widespread destruction of fallen trees and power lines has created serious obstacles to restoring service, and some areas may be without power for at least another week.
Why it matters
The prolonged power outages are creating significant financial hardship for residents, many of whom are having to pay for alternative heating sources and other emergency measures. The situation also highlights the vulnerability of the region's power grid infrastructure to extreme weather events, raising questions about preparedness and resilience.
The details
Families like the Goldens are using space heaters, generators, and boiling water on the stove to stay warm, but these measures are costly. Many residents have had to dip into savings to cover the expenses. Power company crews from Mississippi and neighboring states are working around the clock, but the extensive damage to power lines and fallen trees has slowed restoration efforts. Some areas have been told it will be at least another week before power is fully restored.
- The ice storm hit northeast Mississippi nearly two weeks ago, on January 23, 2026.
- As of February 5, 2026, around 25,000 customers are still without power.
The players
The Golden Family
A family of three living in Taylor, Mississippi who are struggling to stay warm and cover the costs of alternative heating sources like propane and generators during the prolonged power outage.
Northeast Mississippi Electric Power Association
The local power company working to restore electricity to the region, with assistance from crews from neighboring states.
Brindin Chandler
A 20-year-old Oxford, Mississippi resident who narrowly avoided being killed when a tree fell through his mobile home while he was out helping clear fallen trees in the community.
What they’re saying
“We wasn't expecting it to be this bad. We kind of figured that we was gonna be without lights for a few days, and we thought the Northeast (Northeast Mississippi Electric Power Association) and the power company, they was going to be able to go through and fix things and get us back to where up and running, but I see that it is, it's a lot, it's a lot worse than what we thought it was gonna be.”
— Tambra Golden (CBS News)
“Because we were doing that is the only reason that I wasn't in there. I never thought it would happen to me. Glad to be alive.”
— Brindin Chandler (CBS News)
What’s next
Power company crews are working around the clock to restore service, but it may take at least another week before all customers have their power back.
The takeaway
The prolonged power outages in northeast Mississippi following the ice storm highlight the need for greater investment in grid resilience and emergency preparedness to ensure communities can better withstand and recover from extreme weather events.