Nearly 20,000 Mississippians Still Without Power After Winter Storm

Residents in northern Mississippi have endured days of bitter cold and loss of water since the ice storm struck late last month.

Published on Feb. 6, 2026

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Nearly two weeks after an ice storm knocked out power to her home, 79-year-old Barbara Bishop and her 85-year-old husband George are still trying to get their lights back on and find food that has spoiled in their fridge. The Bishops, along with thousands of other customers in northern Mississippi, have been without power since the storm hit late last month, downing trees and power lines across the region.

Why it matters

The prolonged power outages have left residents in northern Mississippi struggling to keep warm and access basic necessities like food and water. The damage from the ice storm has highlighted the region's vulnerability to extreme weather events and the need for more resilient infrastructure.

The details

Nearly 20,000 customers remained without power in northern Mississippi on Friday, down from about 180,000 shortly after the storm struck. Lafayette County, where the city of Oxford is located, had the most remaining outages with about 4,200 customers still in the dark. Across the street from the Bishops, Russ Jones and his wife have also been without electricity or water for days, using buckets to flush toilets and cooking on their gas stove to stay warm.

  • The ice storm hit northern Mississippi late last month.
  • Nearly two weeks after the storm, about 20,000 customers remained without power as of Friday, February 6, 2026.

The players

Barbara Bishop

A 79-year-old resident of rural northern Mississippi who lost power to her home nearly two weeks ago and is still struggling to get the lights back on.

George Bishop

Barbara Bishop's 85-year-old husband, who has also been without power since the ice storm struck their rural home near Oxford, Mississippi.

Russ Jones

A resident living across the street from the Bishops who has also been without electricity or water for days since the storm, relying on a gas stove and fireplace to stay warm.

Eight Days of Hope

A nonprofit organization that has arrived in northern Mississippi to help residents clean up damage and provide free meals to those affected by the prolonged power outages.

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What they’re saying

“It's just been one of those times you just have to grit, grit your teeth and bare it.”

— Barbara Bishop (adn.com)

“It's been a shock to the system.”

— Russ Jones (adn.com)

“It's just beyond anything I could ever imagine.”

— Russ Jones (adn.com)

What’s next

Power companies are working to restore electricity to the remaining customers, but it is unclear exactly when full power will be restored to the region.

The takeaway

The prolonged power outages in northern Mississippi following the ice storm have highlighted the need for more resilient infrastructure and emergency preparedness in the face of extreme weather events, which are expected to become more frequent due to climate change.