60-Member Crew Works To Restore Power In The City
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WATER VALLEY — Winter Storm Fern announced itself with what many residents described as “fireworks” as thunder and lightning pierced the air early Sunday morning during a period of heavy freezing rain that caused trees to snap under the weight of ice.
The storm left widespread damage across north Mississippi, knocking down trees, power lines and utility poles and cutting electricity to much of Water Valley and Yalobusha County.
In the City, by presstime Tuesday afternoon, the power restoration effort had expanded to a 60-member crew working to restore service to approximately 2,100 customers served by the Water Valley Electric Commission.
City officials said the response began before the storm arrived.
Mayor Tommy Reynolds said city leaders and department heads met Friday morning to prepare for the incoming weather system.
Following the storm, the Water Valley Board of Aldermen met multiple times over several days to organize emergency actions, staffing, logistics and support in the aftermath of the storm as roads were blocked, trees and powerlines down.
Brandon Presley, chairman of the Electric Commission, said early planning and coordination proved critical once damage assessments began.
“We made the decision early on to declare an emergency,” Presley said. “That allowed us to get personnel, equipment and materials in place faster than we otherwise could have.”
Presley said bringing in outside help required careful coordination to avoid overwhelming the city’s infrastructure.
“We want to measure it twice and cut once as we bring folks in,” Presley said. “We want to make sure we’ve got somewhere ready for them to go so they can get plugged in and be working without stressing gas stations and other services.”
Assisting Water Valley’s local electric department are crews from several city-owned electric systems and private contractors. Those assisting with restoration efforts include Gray’s Power Supply, MDR and electric departments from the cities of Louisville, Philadelphia and Russellville, Alabama.
Electric departments from Kosciusko and Starkville are on standby and available to assist if additional crews are needed.
Presley said crews are assigned to specific sections of the city each day to prevent overlap and speed restoration.
“Every morning we spread out to make sure crews are all doing a different section,” he said. “Logistics is a huge part of this.”
Road conditions and public safety remain ongoing challenges, particularly in areas where bucket trucks and heavy equipment are operating.
“When you see those lights flashing, get out of there and let these folks work,” Presley said. “We’ve got people in the air, and crews have to stop work just to make sure nobody’s going to run into them.”
Mayor Reynolds said city departments—including electric, water and street—have worked closely together since the storm.
“Everybody is joining hands and working together to a large degree,” Reynolds said.
Garbage collection remains suspended, but Reynolds said the city’s goal is to resume service soon.
“As soon as it is safe for our personnel to do it, garbage will resume,” Reynolds said. “Hopefully it will be sooner rather than later.”
City officials said they are hopeful garbage service can resume by the latter part of this week, depending on road conditions and remaining storm debris.
Community support has played a major role in sustaining the restoration effort, particularly in caring for out-of-town linemen working long hours in freezing conditions.
Presley said Liz Reynolds provided a critical resource early in the response by opening Fountain Square, located on Frostland Drive, as housing for linemen. The facility sits in a portion of the city that retained electricity, allowing crews a warm place to sleep. Cornerstone Rehabilitation provided facilities for showering and cleanup.
“These folks came here and left their families to help us,” Presley said. “From the minute we made the call, the community responded.”
Local businesses and volunteers stepped up to provide meals. B.T.C. Old Fashioned Grocery Store prepared and delivered casseroles, Sweet Mama’s helped provide breakfast, and Crawdad Hole supplied meals for crews, including large lunches that fed dozens of workers.
“They’ve told us they’ve never worried about being taken care of here,” Presley said. “That’s the reputation this city has, and it’s one they’re seeing firsthand.”
Presley cautioned residents not to expect specific restoration times for individual addresses.
“We would never tell somebody that a specific address will be on a certain day,” he said. “There are too many factors we can’t see right now. What we can say is that everything that can be deployed has been deployed.”
City officials said power restoration efforts will be measured in days and not weeks. Presley did note that some crews will likely remain in Water Valley for weeks to complete follow-up repairs once power is restored.
Residents are urged to remain cautious around work zones, avoid stopping near utility crews and stay clear of downed power lines.
