Major Winter Storm Impacts Power From Mississippi to Tennessee and Beyond
A major winter storm caused widespread outages across multiple states. Power is largely restored in the Nashville area, while some parts of Mississippi have faced lingering multi-day outages. Use generators safely while recovery continues.
Major Winter Storm Impacts Power From Mississippi to Tennessee and Beyond
What's Happening Right Now
A major winter storm disrupted power across several states, with recovery at different stages depending on local damage and access. Reports show near-full restoration in the Nashville area, while parts of Mississippi have experienced longer-running outages and recovery efforts have continued.
- Federal disaster declarations were approved for Mississippi and Tennessee following the winter storm (FOX Weather)
- Mississippi had customers still without power well after the storm, with reports noting about 15,000 without service at one point (The Weather Channel)
- Some Mississippians were reported to be near two weeks without power after the winter storm (AP News)
- Entergy Mississippi reported it restored power to all customers after the winter storm (WJTV)
- Nashville Electric Service reported near-restoration and later announced full restoration following storm-related outages (WSMV, WKRN News 2)
- Other areas also reported winter-storm-related disruptions, including a Dallas-area outage report and a Salem winter storm alert (AOL.com, Salem, MA (.gov))
Why This Matters
Winter storms can damage lines and equipment, block access for repair crews, and create uneven restoration timelines across a region. Even when a metro area like Nashville reports full restoration, pockets of customers elsewhere can still be without power for extended periods, as reported in Mississippi (AP News). That matters for heating, refrigeration, medical devices, communications, and safe food handling during and after outages.
What to Do If You're Affected
Focus on reducing your power needs to essentials, protecting food and water, and using any backup power source safely. If you are using a generator, plan your loads and refueling so you can run it efficiently rather than continuously.
- Confirm the outage is not limited to your home by checking your breaker panel and looking for neighborhood outages.
- Prioritize critical loads: heat source controls (if applicable), refrigerator/freezer, phone charging, a few lights, and any medically necessary devices.
- Use safe food practices during outages and after power returns, especially if refrigeration has been interrupted (somerset-kentucky.com).
- If you have a generator, write down what you will power and rotate loads to avoid overloading.
- When power returns, bring large loads back gradually to reduce stress on circuits and appliances.
Generator Considerations
Generator use can help bridge an outage, but winter conditions change how you should plan. Cold weather can increase heating-related electrical demand (fans, blowers, controls), and fuel logistics can be harder when roads are impacted. Keep your setup simple, focus on essentials, and follow safe connection practices.
Right-sizing your generator: List the wattage of essentials you plan to run at the same time (refrigerator, a few lights, device chargers). Avoid adding high-draw appliances unless your generator is sized for them.
Fuel planning: Use fresh fuel and plan for safe storage so you can run the generator in shorter, efficient blocks rather than continuously.
Cold-weather operation: Allow the generator to warm up before applying heavy loads, and keep cords and connections dry and protected from snow or ice.
Noise and placement: Place the generator where it can run safely outdoors while minimizing disturbance, and secure it to reduce theft risk.
Important Safety Notes
Generator safety is especially important during winter storms, when people may be tempted to run equipment in garages, near doors, or too close to the home. Follow these non-negotiable rules every time you operate a generator.
⚠️ WARNING: Carbon monoxide: NEVER run a generator indoors. Carbon monoxide can build up quickly and can be deadly.
⚠️ WARNING: Indoor use and placement: Generators are outdoors only. Place the unit at least 20 feet from windows/doors/vents and point exhaust away from the home.
⚠️ WARNING: Backfeeding and connections: NEVER connect a generator directly to your home wiring or NEVER plug a generator into a wall outlet. Use a transfer switch to prevent backfeed that can endanger lineworkers and neighbors.
⚠️ WARNING: Fuel storage: Store fuel only in approved containers and keep it away from living areas. Let the generator cool before refueling.