Nearly all of the residents who lost power in the city of Greenwood have had their power restored, but public schools will remain closed through at least Wednesday.
On Monday night, Greenwood Leflore Consolidated School District announced that school would be closed through Wednesday and reopen Thursday.
“The safety and wellbeing of our studies and staff remains our top priority,” Dr. Kenneth Pulley, school superintendent, said in a social media post. “Thank you for your patience.”
Pillow Academy reopened Tuesday after canceling classes for six school days due to loss of power. Power was restored on Monday.
Leflore Legacy Academy returned to classes Tuesday, and Delta Streets also reopened this week.
The Carroll County School District made the decision to cancel classes through the end of this week.
“Fifty-five percent of students and their families are still without power and/or water, while 35% of our staff are still experiencing outages,” the district stated Tuesday. “With these results we have decided it is in the best interest of our staff and students to cancel school for additional days.”
Staff will report at 8 a.m. Friday. Students will return Monday.
Power update
On Sunday morning, Greenwood Utilities said that it had restored power to all customers who could receive it.
“As of 6 a.m. this morning, all GU customers who can receive power, have been restored,” the company stated on social media Sunday. “We have approximately 70 customers who have had or need to have their meter box/weatherhead repaired. If your damage has been repaired, please let us know as we have crews working today that are available to make connections.”
The work has been slower for Delta Electric Power Association. On Monday, the power company released statistics on how much damage its system had received due to the winter storm on Jan. 24-25.
Those totals included:
- 656 poles that are damaged and will need to be changed out.
- 684 spans of wire that will need to be put back up.
- 557 trees that need to be cut off the line.
- 84 damaged fiber optic cables
More than half of these issues have been repaired, the company stated in a social media post. On Monday and Tuesday, crews worked in communities including Holcomb, Sparta, Malmaison, U.S. 82 west of Carrollton, Coila, Gravel Hill, Seven Pines, Acona, Lexington, Horseshoe, Minter City, Duck Hill, Sweatman, Alva, Fox, Minerva, Lodi, Huntsville, Scotland, Poplar Creek, Sawyer, Ski Ranch Road, Jefferson, Highland Hills, Hickory Grove, Vaiden, Blackmonton, Emory Road, and Bowling Green.
“The outages are now at 6,000 down from our 21,000 peak,” Delta Electric stated Monday. “Rest assured, we will not stop until service is restored to everyone. Our goal is to restore service to every member that can take service by the end of the week.”
Itta Bena received a commitment Monday of $200,000 from the Leflore County Board of Supervisors to help restore power across the city. The city runs its own power company.
In Carroll County, North Carrollton Mayor Ken Strachan said that 3,000 gallons of water had been sent from North Carrollton to Dave’s Store in Black Hawk at the intersection of Mississippi 17 and Mississippi 430 to help those who are on the Pelucia Water System.
Strachan asked the Mississippi National Guard to help distribute the water. “Bring buckets or other containers to take water,” Strachan said Monday. “They will be there until 6 p.m. Monday, and a time for Tuesday will be announced later.”
A number of Leflore County businesses have been working to feed those without power over the past week. By the Bridge Bistro partnered with World Central Kitchen to provide free meals to those in need. The business planned to resume normal operations on Wednesday.
What’s Cooking? and Delta Roots Takery also provided meals for the linemen during the recovery efforts.
Gov. Tate Reeves’ office reported that two more deaths were reported in Panola County on Sunday, bringing the total to 23 statewide including one in Leflore County.
Impacted counties continue to make requests for meals, water, cots, blankets and generators.
A total of 41 counties have made 662 requests. So far, 275,832 bottles of water, 93,412 meals, 4,739 blankets, 1,990 cots and 4,322 tarps have been distributed to impacted counties.
What's Cooking also gave back to linemen.
Delta Roots Takery also provided meals for the linemen.
FEMA update
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is supporting the local and state-led response to the winter storm in Mississippi by providing commodities, directing federal assistance and expediting financial assistance to supplement the state and local response.
“Even before the storm, DHS and FEMA have been working side by side with Mississippi’s state and local officials to deliver the support they need as quickly as possible,” said Karen S. Evans, FEMA acting administrator, in a statement Saturday. “This winter storm response shows how FEMA and the entire federal family can surge personnel, equipment and assistance in a coordinated way to help states lead the response and recovery efforts to protect their communities.”
Following a federal emergency disaster declaration on Jan. 24, the Department of Homeland Security deployed personnel to the state emergency operations center to enhance coordination with partners on the ground, including FEMA Region 4 Acting Regional Administrator Rob Ashe, Federal Coordinating Officer Brett Howard and a 12-person Incident Management Assistance Team.
DHS has fulfilled the state’s request for 90 generators to power critical facilities and minimize disruption to critical services. Working with the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency, FEMA has coordinated 51 generator missions for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Thirty-one assessments have been completed, and generator installations continue throughout the affected areas as needed.
To meet life-safety and life-sustaining needs, DHS has already distributed 49 trailer loads of supplies to Mississippi, including meals, water, tarps, oxygen canisters, and blankets to supplement state supplies. DHS is also coordinating additional commodities requested by the state, including:
• 30 trailer loads of water.
• Eight trailer loads of meals.
• Six trailer loads of cots.
• Three trailer loads of blankets.
• Two trailer loads of tarps.
• 500 Type E oxygen canisters and accessories.
Additional commodities have been staged at the Incident Support Base in Columbus to fulfill further state requests, if needed. These include:
• 43 trailer loads of water.
• 23 trailer loads of meals.
• Six trailer loads of blankets.
• 36 trailer loads of cots.
• Two trailer loads of tarps.
• A trailer load of consumable medical equipment.
• A trailer load of durable medical equipment, including eight kits that can support people with functional needs.
• 1 trailer load of infant and toddler supplies.
• 1 generator pack with 30 generators.
President Donald Trump amended Mississippi’s federal emergency disaster declaration on Wednesday, reimbursing the state $3.75 million with unprecedented speed as part of his promise to reform emergency management.
Individuals with storm-related needs are encouraged to contact their local emergency management office or volunteer agencies in their area for assistance.
