Severe winter weather left most of the Golden Triangle unscathed this weekend, while other parts of the state have dealt with large-scale power outages, falling debris and iced over roads.
An extreme cold warning was issued Sunday as a winter storm swept the region, bringing with it heavy rain, light snow and temperatures falling just below freezing, according to the National Weather Service.
Jon Turner, director of public relations and marketing for 4-County Electric Power Association, said roughly 4,500 meters in Oktibbeha County, 800 in Clay County and only about 20 meters in Lowndes County were without power during the peak of the storm early Sunday morning, though most were concentrated west of Highway 45 Alternate.
As of Monday afternoon, about 95 meters remained out in Oktibbeha, two in Clay County and two in Lowndes County.
Turner said crews have continued to work through the low temperatures Monday in hopes of getting all meters back online by Wednesday, though conditions have made the work difficult.
“The ground was so saturated from all the rain that we had, it was hard to get equipment in there,” Turner told The Dispatch on Monday. “We’re going to have to go in and climb poles and replace wire by hand, which slows the process down.”
Oktibbeha County Sheriff Shank Phelps told The Dispatch “several” trees had fallen throughout the west side of the county, though hazards had been cleared by Sunday afternoon.
Mississippi Highway Patrol Public Information Officer Trooper Bryant Flake said most responses troopers made over the weekend were for helping stranded motorists and assisting with tree removals, particularly in Webster, Choctaw and Chickasaw counties.
“There (were) maybe a couple of (drivers who) slid off a ditch and into an embankment, but it wasn’t anything substantial by any means,” Flake said. “Traffic is still flowing pretty steadily, (and) all the troopers have been told just to ride up and down the highways just to make sure everybody’s OK.”
While Oktibbeha residents were cautioned about flooding along Sturgis-West Point and New Light roads and broken tree limbs on Brown Road, those areas were cleared and safe for travel as of Monday, Director Jarvis Boyd wrote in an email to The Dispatch.
Cindy Lawrence, emergency management agency director for Lowndes County, said she had received no reports of flooding or downed trees as of Monday.
Tiara Cole, operations coordinator for Starkville Utilities, said roughly 1,000 customers in the city were without power on Saturday night due to fallen tree limbs, but as of Monday there were no other outages in the city.
There were no power outages in Columbus this weekend, according to a Columbus Light and Water Facebook post.
Bracing for the cold
Though 4-County saw between 7,000 and 8,000 meters out at the peak of the storm, Turner said the cooperative was “tremendously lucky” to see less severe impacts in its coverage area when compared to providers in northern and western parts of the state.
“We had 7,000 folks out at the height of the storm … So you’re talking about something less than a fifth of our members (were) affected,” Turner said. “… But when you look at Lafayette County and some of those other places up there that are running like 90% or better of their folks are out, and that’s tough.”
In a press release issued Monday, Gov. Tate Reeve’s office reported about 153,000 people are without power across the state, with 47 counties reporting damage from the storm. Two fatalities had been reported as of Monday. The press release also noted repair efforts have become more difficult due to cold weather conditions, iced roads and falling debris.
Turner said once 4-County’s workers have finished repairing the remaining outages, they likely will be sent to help in areas in need across the state.
Angela Verdell, general manager for CLW, said the utility company sent a crew of eight linemen and tree men Monday to assist New Albany with its response to power outages. Starkville Utilities will also send a crew to assist in New Albany, according to a Facebook post made Monday.
“Providing mutual aid to sister utilities is a part of who we are,” Verdell wrote in an email to The Dispatch. “There have been times when CLW was on the receiving end, and this time around we are aiding and assisting however we can.”
The extreme cold warning for the Golden Triangle extends through Tuesday morning, the NWS Monday announcement said. Temperatures are expected to range between 10 and 32 degrees, which could damage exposed water pipes.
Lawrence said in preparation for the weather locals should wear multiple layers of clothes, continue to drip their faucets and check on their neighbors.
“If they have to leave home, (residents should) make sure they bundle up,” Lawrence said. “(They should) make sure they (have) got gas in their car and a supply kit in their car, in case they have some type of incident with their vehicle.”
While most road conditions continue to remain clear, Flake advised residents to stay off roads, highways and bridges if they can until weather conditions improve.
“Be cautious, drive slow and keep your distance from most vehicles,” Flake said. “The main thing is If you don’t have to get on the roadway, don’t get out on the roadway, because … at nighttime throughout the week, it’s just gonna get colder.”
You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 34 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 34 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
