MERIDIAN, Miss. (Queen City Newsfeed), Mississippi Power has activated its storm center and mobilized more than 1,000 employees, contractors and support personnel as Hurricane Isaias approaches the Gulf Coast.
The company secured nearly 500 outside resources for the response. These include line crews, vegetation management teams and damage assessors. Crews are arriving in southeast Mississippi ahead of landfall, and the company says they will be prepared to respond Friday morning.
“Our teams have been preparing for Hurricane Isaias for several days and we are ready to respond,” said Fran Forehand, Mississippi Power’s Vice President of Power Delivery and Division Operations. “Our storm plan is active, our storm center is staffed and we’ve secured the additional resources needed to support restoration efforts across southeast Mississippi.”
Isaias Strengthens Over the Gulf
Isaias became the first hurricane of the 2026 Atlantic season late Wednesday night. By Thursday evening, it had strengthened into a Category 2 storm with maximum sustained winds of 100 mph, according to the National Hurricane Center. Forecasters expect the storm to make landfall along the northern Gulf Coast late Friday or early Saturday.
Crews Staged Across the Service Territory
Mississippi Power is placing crews and equipment at key points across its service area before the storm arrives. As a result, workers can reach damaged areas quickly once conditions allow.
“Our focus is on restoring service as safely and efficiently as possible for our customers and communities,” Forehand said.
Meanwhile, employees at Plant Watson in Gulfport and Plant Daniel in Escatawpa are following storm protocols. Their work protects equipment and helps keep power flowing to customers throughout the storm.
Mississippi Power serves nearly 194,000 customers in 23 southeast Mississippi counties.
How Customers Can Stay Informed
Mississippi Power customers can visit the company’s Storm Center for preparation tips. They can also sign up for outage alerts for their home or business there.
In addition, customers can check and report outages through the Outage Map. The company will also post storm updates on its Facebook page.
Stay Safe Around Downed Lines
After the storm passes, residents should stay away from downed power lines and treat every line as energized. Report any downed line to Mississippi Power right away. If you use a generator, run it outdoors and away from windows and doors.
Queen City Newsfeed will continue to follow Hurricane Isaias and its impact on East Mississippi.
