Announcements
Yazoo Valley Electric warns about ice event
Listen to this articleThe historic storm hitting the Vicksburg and Warren County area is causing widespread challenges on all the delivery systems that we take for granted.
Water pipes are bursting all over the area, including the Fisher Ferry bridge by Sports Force Park. The electricity has held out for most of us since the storm began. That may soon change. It now appears an ice storm is imminent for our area and especially for our neighbors to the north.
Yazoo Valley Electric has issued the following statement:
We may be in for a severe icing event in the Yazoo Valley service area. The first round of winter weather brought sleet and snow. As a result, the roads are very dangerous, but power outages due to the weather were very few. The next round, beginning this afternoon and evening, may bring freezing rain. If the accumulation is high enough, expect power outages to follow.
Our crews are preparing to respond to an ice storm. This is our most dreaded type of event. The conditions can be brutal for linemen. Travel is difficult and dangerous. Climbing ice-covered poles is hazardous. Home generators–if improperly connected–can be lethal for linemen. All of the above conditions and more make the restoration efforts move painfully slow.
We advise you to prepare for extended power outages. Because of the wide-spread reach of the event and the hazardous road conditions, it will take longer to get men, equipment and materials mobilized to assist in power restoration. Also, because this event is region-wide, expect longer hold times in our call center. Events this large can overwhelm any system with call traffic. Please be patient. As always, we will work extremely hard to restore power as fast as we can.
Please make sure you have a plan to have everything you need to prepare for an outage: candles, flashlights and food. Keep your freezer and refrigerator doors closed to retain temperature. Charge all your mobile devices and check on your neighbors, especially the elderly.
I remind you, it’s no fun for us either.
