Prolonged Ice Storms Cripple US South

Power outages, road closures, and lack of critical resources intensify crisis across Mississippi and Tennessee

Jan. 29, 2026 at 12:55am

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Severe winter storms have left hundreds of thousands without power across the southern US, with Mississippi and Tennessee among the hardest hit. Emergency services are overwhelmed with calls from residents in need of medical assistance, heat, and other basic necessities. Restoration efforts are expected to take days, as forecasts call for more freezing temperatures and potential snowfall in the Carolinas and Virginia.

Why it matters

The prolonged power outages and hazardous conditions pose a serious threat to vulnerable populations, especially the elderly and those with medical needs, who are isolated and struggling to access critical resources. The crisis highlights the region's lack of preparedness for extreme winter weather, raising questions about infrastructure resilience and emergency response capabilities.

The details

In Mississippi, emergency dispatchers are inundated with calls from residents trapped in their homes without power, heat, or access to medication and oxygen. State troopers in Tennessee are conducting welfare checks on individuals who have been out of contact for days. Officials have resorted to using wildfire trucks to transport patients to hospitals as roads remain impassable. Power restoration efforts are expected to take several more days, as temperatures are forecast to drop below freezing again by the weekend.

  • The winter storm has been described as the most severe in over 30 years in Mississippi.
  • Power outages have persisted since the weekend, with roughly 298,000 homes and businesses still without electricity as of Wednesday night.
  • Forecasters say the subfreezing weather will continue in the eastern US into February, with a new influx of arctic air arriving this weekend.

The players

Nancy Dillon

An 87-year-old resident of a family farm on the outskirts of Nashville, who endured three days without electricity and relied solely on her fireplace for warmth.

Hal Ferrell

The mayor of Batesville, Mississippi, who stated that no one in the city has power and that warming centers are insufficient to meet the overwhelming demand.

LaRae Sliger

The emergency management director for Hardin County, Tennessee, at the Mississippi state line, who said residents are struggling without power, heat, and access to essential resources.

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What they’re saying

“If I were to fall, if I were to need somebody, there would be no way to get help.”

— Nancy Dillon

“We're at a real mess and warming centers just don't exist for 7,500 people.”

— Hal Ferrell, Mayor of Batesville, Mississippi

“They're cold, they don't have power, they don't have heat, they're out of propane, they're out of wood, they're out of kerosene for their kerosene heaters.”

— LaRae Sliger, Emergency Management Director, Hardin County, Tennessee

What’s next

Utility workers in Nashville will need at least the weekend, if not longer, to finish restoring power. Forecasters say the subfreezing weather will persist in the eastern US into February, with a new influx of arctic air arriving this weekend, raising the possibility of additional snowfall in the Carolinas and Virginia.

The takeaway

The prolonged power outages and lack of preparedness for extreme winter weather in the southern US have left vulnerable populations at risk, highlighting the need for infrastructure improvements and more robust emergency response plans to ensure communities can withstand and recover from such severe weather events.