Speaking at a news conference Monday, Reeves said the state is continuing to support counties with equipment and supplies, including the deployment of 60 generators and deliveries of water and cots from federal partners. He said Mississippi has also been housing federal personnel, linemen and National Guard members as additional resources are mobilized.
Reeves said temperatures are expected to climb above freezing in much of the state Tuesday, along with sunny skies. However, he cautioned that warmer weather does not mean ice will immediately clear.
“That doesn’t necessarily mean all the ice is going to be gone,” Reeves said, adding that the state sees a window from Tuesday through Thursday to push resources into affected counties.
He also warned that another cold front is expected to move into Mississippi this weekend, bringing additional challenges.
“We are trying to meet the needs of every county that is requesting assistance,” Reeves said.
Mississippi Department of Transportation Director Brad White said the primary challenges remain ice-covered roads and downed trees, many of which are tangled with power lines. White said MDOT is coordinating closely with power companies and using a systematic approach to road clearing.
White said MDOT is working within a three-day window of favorable weather to mobilize crews from central and southern Mississippi into the Delta and northern parts of the state. He said more than 15,000 lane miles of state highways have been impacted, along with about 3,000 bridges that have been treated to prevent freezing.
Over the weekend, MDOT deployed about 500 maintenance workers, applied 200,000 gallons of brine, spread 1,000 tons of salt, and added 150 employees to response efforts. White said it was the largest treatment and pretreatment operation the department has ever conducted for a storm of this size.
“Our goal has been to keep interstates and major two-lane highways passable,” White said, urging residents in affected areas to stay home unless travel is absolutely necessary.
MEMA Director McCraney said the agency is coordinating with all 82 counties and the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians, working alongside the National Guard to assess local needs. He said MEMA is also coordinating with power companies and all state agencies through the State Emergency Operations Center.
McCraney urged residents to stay off the roads and avoid sightseeing.
“The roads are already dangerous,” he said. “We don’t need another accident or another call for service.”
The Mississippi National Guard said it began planning for potential deployment more than a week ago. The governor authorized the deployment of Guard assets, and officials said about 500 service members are expected to mobilize, reporting to armories Tuesday.
Guard leaders said the deployment will include forward support companies and aviation units based out of Camp McCain and Tupelo, with missions ranging from debris removal to traffic control. Guard units are expected to begin operations by Tuesday afternoon and be fully operational by Wednesday morning.
Reeves said the storm has affected hundreds of thousands of homes beyond Mississippi, noting that about 750,000 homes across multiple states remain without power and that roughly 25% of those are in Mississippi.
“We want to get resources to people in a safe way,” Reeves said.
He thanked local and state officials, emergency responders and utility workers for their efforts.
“We will get through this,” Reeves said. “But we’re not going to get through this today or tomorrow. It’s going to take time.”
