JACKSON, Miss. (WJTV) – Governor Tate Reeves encouraged Mississippians to look after their loved ones and neighbors on Thursday after another day of below freezing temperatures.
There has been damage reported across the state. Reeves said his office building was flooded, and his home was without running water. He released the following statement on social media:
Mississippians are being hit hard again, and so many are stepping up—again. We are used to hurricanes, tornados, and flooding. We are not used to this, but we are always ready to come together and protect one another.
We’ve been under a state of emergency since Sunday morning, with thousands of Mississippians in their homes because of the dangerous conditions. Power lines have been frozen, fixed, and frozen again (over 180k currently out with crews working across the state to restore.) Roads have been iced over, cleared, and then iced again. Water systems have frozen in some areas.
Unlike a hurricane or tornado, where the event comes furiously and then ends, this has been a slow-moving disaster. We have been in response mode, not recovery, constantly. There has not been a significant break in the freeze—it just keeps coming.
We will get to the recovery point. Until then, there are a few basic things that we can all do:
Stay home if you can. The greatest immediate danger is accidents on slick roads.
Record any damage, because emergency management teams will work to calculate and get federal assistance if the damage is great enough. My office building is flooded, while my home is without running water!
Look after your loved ones and neighbors—share resources and check on those who need it.
Pray for the line crews, road crews, first responders, and others who have to go out in the cold and do dangerous work to restore power, clear roads, and protect us.
Gov. Tate Reeves, R-Miss.