Snow and ice left widespread damage across northern Mississippi as a massive storm moved across large parts of the U.S., creating dangerous travel conditions. Trees split open and dropped heavy branches, and power lines crashed down in some areas.

Though the worst damage was in the northern part of the state, areas as far south as Natchez saw icy conditions.

As much as 12% of Mississippi customers were without electricity at peak outages Sunday, and the hardest-hit areas were in the northern part of the state, according to the tracking site poweroutage.us. 

“The situation is expected to get worse before it gets better,” Gov. Tate Reeves said, warning that restoring power could take days. He said 47 of Mississippi’s 82 counties have been affected by the storm.

“We haven’t seen a storm of this magnitude in terms of ice since 1994,” Reeves said. “This magnitude, this large an area in our state, and quite honestly, this much ice, we haven’t seen anything like this for 32 years.”

Reeves said that things could change, but “at this time we do not anticipate the need to call out the (National) Guard” as North Carolina has done to deal with the storm.

About half of Mississippi’s public school districts will be closed Monday. In hard-hit Oxford and Lafayette County, where fallen trees were blocking many roads, officials announced schools will close all week.

Like many other Oxford residents, Lee Ragland said he and his wife, Jana, were without power Sunday. He said some trees and large limbs fell in their yard, but luckily none had hit their house.

“Laid in bed last night listening to transformers blow and trees snapping and falling up and down street,” Lee Ragland said in a text message. “Not a good feeling. Now need to find a chainsaw crew to clear my driveway.”

Holly Springs resident Pat Stubbs said his home lost power Saturday night, and trees were down all around his neighborhood.

“I’ve got gas logs and a gas stove and oven. I’m better off than most,” Stubbs said Sunday. “Looks like it’s gonna be a few days before all this melts.”

In Clarksdale, Shawn Thomas-Erving said Sunday he helped six people who were stuck in the storm Saturday evening, including law enforcement. He said he used a shovel to get tires out of areas thickly blanketed with snow and ice. 

Thomas-Erving said afterward that he was tired, but “I felt like it was my duty.”

He said wintry conditions haven’t been this bad in Clarksdale since the early 2000s. He described the situation Sunday as “unbearable,” with cars still sliding and getting stuck.

Reeves said power outage numbers have been fluctuating and are likely to get worse as temperatures drop overnight and into Monday morning, but that at a peak Sunday about 180,000 customers, about 12% of customers statewide, were out.

Lafayette County, home to Oxford, had about 20,000 customers without electricity at midday Sunday, about 75% of the customers in that county.

Lee County, home to Tupelo, had nearly 13,000 customers without electricity, about 35%.

Tippah Electric Power Association reported that TVA, one of the largest power providers in northeast Mississippi, had “catastrophic damage” to one of its main distribution lines “and because of that, it could be a lengthy time before they are able to get power to every customer,” Reeves said.

Jackson firefighters extinguished flames Saturday night at what was supposed to be a vacant building at Chapel Ridge apartments. The Jackson Fire Department’s chief investigator, Charles Felton, said the building was being used by people “without permanent housing.”

Oxford Mayor Robyn Tannehill said on social media Sunday that crews were working to clear streets for emergency vehicles. She implored people to remain home and to stay away from downed power lines.

“It looks dire right now, I know, but Oxford’s a community that takes care of each other and comes together when things are most challenging,” Tannehill said. “And this challenge will be no different.”

Coahoma County resident Elicia Martin Mosley said in a written message Sunday that her husband and the county road department worked until 5 p.m. Friday to prepare for the storm as much as possible.

“Unfortunately, you can’t always prepare for what God has in store!” she said. “Why invest in a $200,000 machine for a once every 2-3 years storm! If you wanna get out … gone do what you need to do. If it’s an emergency call for help otherwise watch and pray!”

The Federal Emergency Management Agency announced Saturday night that President Donald Trump has approved an emergency declaration for Mississippi for this winter storm, which allows federal financial assistance for recovery.

Reeves said at a press conference Sunday that Mississippi has requested 30 generators and truckloads of water from federal emergency management officials. He said he does not anticipate needing to call out the National Guard to help with recovery efforts.

1/25/2026: Michael Goldberg, Geoff Pender and Marquita Brown contributed to this story, which has been updated with information from Gov. Tate Reeves and Oxford and Lafayette County schools and comments from a Coahoma County resident.