Mississippi Residents Endure Two Weeks Without Power Following Winter Storm

Nearly two weeks after an ice storm knocked out power to her home, Barbara Bishop is still grappling with the aftermath. Each day, she finds herself flipping the light switches in vain and checking her fridge for food that has long since spoiled.

At 79 years old, Barbara and her 85-year-old husband, George Bishop, reside in a rural area near Oxford, Mississippi. The recent storm wreaked havoc, causing ice-coated trees to snap and bringing down power lines, rendering roads nearly impassable.

In the wake of the storm, the Bishops welcomed their son, granddaughter, and two children into their home, all of whom had lost both power and water. The family endured several days of bitter cold, relying solely on a gas heater for warmth. At times, they even faced water shortages.

“It’s just been one of those times you just have to grit your teeth and bear it,” Barbara reflected.

As of Friday, nearly 20,000 customers in northern Mississippi remained without power, according to PowerOutage.us, which monitors outages nationwide. This figure has significantly decreased from around 180,000 homes and businesses that were without power shortly after the storm struck late last month.

Lafayette County, where Oxford is located, reported the highest number of outages on Friday, with approximately 4,200 customers still in the dark. Tippah County followed closely with about 3,500 outages, while Panola, Yalobusha, and Tishomingo counties each had over 2,000 customers without power.

After enduring days of frigid temperatures, Oxford finally saw a rise to 70 degrees on Friday. However, remnants of the storm lingered, with chunks of ice still scattered across shaded areas. Downed trees had been collected into large piles along the roads, some still smoldering from controlled burns. While much of the worst damage had been cleared, power lines remained low over roads and lay strewn across parking lots, with tree limbs hanging precariously overhead.

Across the street from the Bishops, Russ Jones and his wife faced similar challenges, lacking both electricity and water. For days, they relied on five-gallon buckets filled with water to flush toilets, cooked meals on their gas stove, and kept warm by their fireplace.

“It’s been a shock to the system,” Jones admitted, noting that he and his wife had begun staying with friends who had power just a few days ago.

On Friday, Jones’ yard was bustling with volunteers from Eight Days of Hope, a nonprofit organization dedicated to responding to natural disasters. These volunteers worked tirelessly to clear snapped tree limbs and remove a large tree that had fallen in Jones’ backyard.

Arriving days after the storm, the organization has assisted dozens of homeowners in cleaning up their yards and repairing damaged roofs. They have also provided over 16,000 free meals to those in need.

For Jones, it was a relief to have one less worry on his mind. When a volunteer handed him a free T-shirt and a blanket for his wife, he struggled to hold back tears.

“It’s just beyond anything I could ever imagine,” he expressed.

Photo: Barbara Bishop and her husband George Bishop pose for a portrait on their front porch on Feb. 6 in Oxford. (AP Photo/Sophie Bates)

Copyright 2026 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Topics
Windstorm

Nearly two weeks after an ice storm knocked out power to her home, Barbara Bishop is still grappling with the aftermath. Each day, she finds herself flipping the light switches in vain and checking her fridge for food that has long since spoiled.

At 79 years old, Barbara and her 85-year-old husband, George Bishop, reside in a rural area near Oxford, Mississippi. The recent storm wreaked havoc, causing ice-coated trees to snap and bringing down power lines, rendering roads nearly impassable.

In the wake of the storm, the Bishops welcomed their son, granddaughter, and two children into their home, all of whom had lost both power and water. The family endured several days of bitter cold, relying solely on a gas heater for warmth. At times, they even faced water shortages.

“It’s just been one of those times you just have to grit your teeth and bear it,” Barbara reflected.

As of Friday, nearly 20,000 customers in northern Mississippi remained without power, according to PowerOutage.us, which monitors outages nationwide. This figure has significantly decreased from around 180,000 homes and businesses that were without power shortly after the storm struck late last month.

Lafayette County, where Oxford is located, reported the highest number of outages on Friday, with approximately 4,200 customers still in the dark. Tippah County followed closely with about 3,500 outages, while Panola, Yalobusha, and Tishomingo counties each had over 2,000 customers without power.

After enduring days of frigid temperatures, Oxford finally saw a rise to 70 degrees on Friday. However, remnants of the storm lingered, with chunks of ice still scattered across shaded areas. Downed trees had been collected into large piles along the roads, some still smoldering from controlled burns. While much of the worst damage had been cleared, power lines remained low over roads and lay strewn across parking lots, with tree limbs hanging precariously overhead.

Across the street from the Bishops, Russ Jones and his wife faced similar challenges, lacking both electricity and water. For days, they relied on five-gallon buckets filled with water to flush toilets, cooked meals on their gas stove, and kept warm by their fireplace.

“It’s been a shock to the system,” Jones admitted, noting that he and his wife had begun staying with friends who had power just a few days ago.

On Friday, Jones’ yard was bustling with volunteers from Eight Days of Hope, a nonprofit organization dedicated to responding to natural disasters. These volunteers worked tirelessly to clear snapped tree limbs and remove a large tree that had fallen in Jones’ backyard.

Arriving days after the storm, the organization has assisted dozens of homeowners in cleaning up their yards and repairing damaged roofs. They have also provided over 16,000 free meals to those in need.

For Jones, it was a relief to have one less worry on his mind. When a volunteer handed him a free T-shirt and a blanket for his wife, he struggled to hold back tears.

“It’s just beyond anything I could ever imagine,” he expressed.

Photo: Barbara Bishop and her husband George Bishop pose for a portrait on their front porch on Feb. 6 in Oxford. (AP Photo/Sophie Bates)

Copyright 2026 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Topics
Windstorm