JACKSON, Miss. – Governor Tate Reeves today announced that the state of Mississippi continues to work with county, state, federal, and private sector partners to respond to the severe winter weather impacting the state. Tragically, six additional deaths have been reported since yesterday’s press release – one in Adams County, one in Jefferson County, one in Warren County, and three in Tate County. This brings the total to 10 statewide. 14 injuries have also been confirmed.
Governor Tate Reeves, as well as Mississippi National Guard (MSNG), the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) and FEMA leadership traveled to northern Mississippi to visit impacted communities. Governor Reeves received a briefing from the Mississippi National Guard at Camp McCain in Grenada, and met with medical professionals at Tippah County Hospital and staff at Rest Haven Nursing Home in Tippah County. Camp McCain is a launching point for supplies, generators, fuel, cots, blankets and food to areas still hard to reach by the icy conditions. Rest Haven Nursing Home is utilizing a generator deployed by the state of Mississippi.
Counties continue to conduct damage assessments. MEMA has received reports of 208 homes, 5 businesses, and 7 farms damaged or destroyed statewide. Additionally, 20 public roads have sustained major damage and 12 have been destroyed. Those numbers are expected to rise as damage assessments continue.
The MSNG has already deployed 500 Soldiers to assist in logistical support and route/debris clearance in affected counties. Additionally, the MSNG has deployed aviation assets to support movement of personnel and equipment. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is assisting in generator installation.
Ice is still reported on roads and bridges in 23 counties. The Mississippi Department of Transportation (MDOT) has deployed nearly 600 maintenance employees, and dozens of salt trucks and snowplows from southern Mississippi to the northern part of the state. MDOT has over 120 snowplows deployed in north Mississippi and the Delta, and is working to clear over 15,000 lane miles and 3,000 bridges. MDOT has shifted most of its focus to clearing the two major impacted interstates, I-55 and I-22. MDOT deployed motor graders and snowplows, dumping salt after ice breaking attempts. Crews faced challenges clearing ice off the roads. These challenges were a result of stopped traffic due to slowdowns from vehicles on the interstate. Because of these slowdowns, MDOT and the Mississippi Department of Public Safety (DPS) made the decision to close I-55 for northbound traffic from Batesville to Senatobia, and all lanes of I-22 from the Tennessee state line to Red Banks, in both directions. Additional closures may be announced by MDOT and DPS.
Throughout Thursday, MDOT crews will continue to focus on opening all lanes of I-55 and I-22. Drivers are encouraged to remain off any open interstate in northern Mississippi unless it is an emergency. This will allow MDOT crews to work uninterrupted. Further traffic disruptions due to unnecessary travel will delay road treatment efforts. For more information on road conditions, go to MDOTtraffic | Powered by MDOT.
The Mississippi State Department of Health (MSDH) is deploying and standing up a Medical Needs Shelter and Shelter Strike Team with equipment and supplies. Additionally, MSDH is deploying 3 ambulances with 6 personnel to provide emergency medical services to Yalobusha County.
Power restoration efforts continue with approximately 106,100 outages reported statewide. This is down from a high of approximately 180,000.
MEMA continues to fill requests from 40 different counties for generators, fuel, tarps, MREs, bottled water, cots, and blankets.
The State of Mississippi is deploying the following assets from FEMA:
- Generators: 90
- Bottled water: 128,000 bottles of water
- MRE's: 107,520 meals
- Cots: 2,178 cots
- Blankets: 9,000 blankets
- Tarps: 3,360 tarps
The Mississippi Department of Human Services announced SNAP recipients who experienced power outages for more than four hours due to the winter storm can apply for SNAP replacement benefits. The applications must be submitted by February 3, 2026, which is 10 days from the date of the storm.
For citizens who want to help, the Mississippi Department of Agriculture and Commerce (MDAC) is collecting bottled water, nonperishable food items, can openers, baby diapers and formula, propane cook stoves and propane bottles, and basic essential paper products to be delivered to North Mississippi. Donations can be dropped off at the Old Armory at the Mississippi State Fairgrounds this week, January 27-30, 2026, from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. MEMA is coordinating with MDAC to ensure the assistance reaches those in need.
The following 50 counties and the MS Band of Choctaw Indians have submitted official damage reports to the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency. Damages reported range from affected to destroyed. The following is PRELIMINARY and will change through the assessment process:
- Adams – 27 homes, 1 death
- Alcorn – 1 death
- Attala
- Bolivar – 1 home, 1 business, 1 farm
- Calhoun – 6 homes
- Carroll – 11 homes
- Chickasaw
- Choctaw
- Claiborne
- Clarke
- Clay
- Coahoma
- Desoto
- Grenada
- Hinds – 4 homes, 1 death, 1 injury
- Holmes
- Humphreys – 3 homes
- Itawamba
- Jefferson – 1 death
- Lafayette
- Leake
- Lee – 1 home
- Leflore – 1 death
- Lincoln
- Lowndes
- Marshall
- Monroe
- Montgomery
- MS Band of Choctaw Indians
- Newton
- Oktibbeha – 1 home, 1 business
- Panola – 4 homes, 1 business, 6 farms
- Pontotoc
- Prentiss
- Quitman
- Rankin
- Smith – 1 injury
- Sharkey – 25 homes, 1 injury
- Sunflower – 6 homes
- Tallahatchie
- Tate – 3 deaths
- Tippah
- Tishomingo – 27 homes, 1 business, 1 death
- Tunica
- Union
- Warren – 6 homes, 1 death
- Washington – 3 homes
- Webster
- Wilkinson
- Yalobusha – 7 homes
- Yazoo – 76 homes, 1 business
Residents who’ve sustained damage from this winter weather event should do the following:
- File an insurance claim.
- Take photos of the damage to the home.
- Report damage to their county/MEMA via the self-report tool.
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