* Editor's Note: Since the publication of this article, utilities have been restored within the community.
Emergency Management Director Jack Willingham said the recent winter storm wasn’t just a destructive front. He said it was more of an “epic disaster.”
“This was an epic disaster,” Willingham said, during Monday’s Board of Supervisors meeting. “This is something that has never happened here before.”
The entire community of Yazoo City and Yazoo County continues to pick up the pieces following the catastrophic ice storm that ripped through the area, leaving thousands without power or water in its aftermath.
Counties continue damage assessments. The Mississippi Emergency Management Agency has received reports from 51 counties, which indicate 369 homes, 26 businesses, and 20 farms have been damaged, destroyed or affected statewide. Additionally, 62 public roads have sustained major damage. 20 have sustained minor damage. Those numbers are expected to fluctuate as damage assessments continue.
As of press time, Willingham said 137 reports of damage within Yazoo County have arrived at his office.
Power restoration efforts continue to make significant progress. Statewide, approximately 38,900 outages remain, down from a peak of about 180,000.
Winter Storm Fern caused catastrophic damage to Yazoo Valley's system. Over 6,500 Yazoo Valley members were without power at the start of the storm, and by press time Tuesday there were fewer than 500 outages remaining. Over 100 workers from sister cooperatives and contract crews have been assisting with restoration. The storm caused major outages across the affected areas in the state with over 160,000 electric cooperative members without power at the highest point.
Willingham added that, as of press time, Entergy had about 106 customers without power.
“The Entergy outages are mostly in the Holly Bluff area because that is kind of the end of the line,” he said.
Willingham said that the Public Service Commission of Yazoo City has restored power to all its customers.
“However, PSC has restored power to those who can receive it,” he added. “There are of a lot of houses who experienced damage to their meter bases. Unfortunately, that is the responsibility of the homeowner. They will have to get their bases hooked back up before power can be restored to them.”
PSC has lifted its boil water notice, Willingham said.
“The rural associations are all still under a boil water notice, but they are testing now,” Willingham said.
Plans are currently underway for debris removal. Locations throughout the community will be determined to serve as a debris site for later burning.
“My biggest concern is now continued assessments,” Willingham said. “We need to make sure we capture all the damage, and we are still receiving those from citizens. We could also use some volunteer organizations to assist the elderly with placing tarps up and debris removal.”
Willingham praised the community’s response to the recovery efforts, particularly utility workers.
“With the 7,000 outages we started with, the utility companies like PSC, Yazoo Valley and Entergy have done a tremendous job,” he said. “They have worked their tails off. Those guys have been steadily going. They have really received emotional brunt with some of the comments that people have been making. But they are doing everything they can do. This was an epic disaster. This is something that has never happened here before. Our people have done everything they can do. The community has really come together.”
