On Jan. 24, Winter Storm Fern swept into Mississippi and crippled significant parts of the state.
On Jan. 24, Winter Storm Fern swept into Mississippi bringing rain, sleet, freezing rain, snow, and savage winds that crippled significant parts of the Delta and the northeastern portion of the state.
The number of downed trees, broken utility poles, and damaged power lines Fern caused was enormous.
“Today, I don’t have an exact number of broken poles, but I think it’s safe to say it will be about 10,000, maybe even north of that,” Electric Cooperatives of Mississippi (ECM) CEO Michael Callahan said.
“I know of one system with 1,800, another with ‘in excess of 1,000.’ Everyone has said the same thing. ‘It’s the most poles I’ve ever had broken in my system.’”
The ice Fern wrought on the state was staggering. The ice spanned an area 25 miles wide and 1 ½ thick starting north of Vicksburg to the northeast part of the state.
The electric cooperative power outages Fern caused across the state topped 163,000 meters in the service territories of 15 different co-ops.
“The record ice buildup on trees and power lines is more ice than we have ever experienced, and the damage to trees was more than I have seen during hurricanes,” said Keith Hayward, CEO of North East Mississippi. The Oxford area experienced significant damage — more than 28,000 outages reported on Jan. 24.
Power restoration following a catastrophic weather event is dangerous for linemen. Dealing with the aftermath of ice damage is more perilous than any other kind of storm.
“The ice caused slips and falls leading to twisted ankles and knees, broken arms, and collar bones. Falling trees and limbs have had lineman scrambling for cover and taken out a couple of our pickup trucks,” Callahan said.
One lineman came into contact with an energized line, Callahan said. At press time, the lineman was listed in critical condition.
Gerald Gordon, vice president of ECM Safety and Loss Control, said although the northeastern part of the state was hit hard and suffered extensive power outages, the Mississippi Delta co-ops also endured severe power struggles.
“This storm moved up the river and took out power over that entire area,” Gordon said.
Density is another challenge to power restoration when a storm is this massive.
“Statewide, our 25 distribution cooperatives average 8.6 meters per line mile. To contrast that number, investor-owned utilities are about 30 to 35 meters per mile, and municipal systems have around 40. Unfortunately, Fern went through the heart of the Delta, where that meters per mile number hovers around 4 to 6 per mile,” Callahan said.
“Linemen have to cover a lot of miles to turn fewer people on.”
Michael Neely, general manager of Yazoo Valley Electric, said downed trees, ice, and extreme cold temperatures all impacted power restoration.
“In prior events, crews could move quickly once the precipitation stopped. Fern locked us into unsafe conditions for days,” Neely said.
In the northeast, the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) — the generation and transmission power provider to distribution co-ops in that part of the state — had transmission lines that bring energy to substations that were severely damaged in the storm. That put a system like Tippah Electric — who lost power to all 14,592 meters — behind for days on power restoration.
With power and water infrastructure down, some co-ops didn’t have places to house and feed extra linemen, another impediment to recovery.
Still, the manpower for Fern power restoration was significant.
More than 1,200 linemen from other Mississippi co-ops and 13 states came to help restore power through mutual aid agreements, Gordon said.
Winter Storm Fern was historic.
“Fern caused system-wide destruction, persistent freezing temperatures, and blocked roadways. The sheer scale of reconstruction required was massive,” said Brad Robison, CEO of Tallahatchie Valley EPA.
Frankie Moorman, general manager of Pontotoc Electric, said the storm knocked out power to 18,504 meters, more than 88% of the entire system.
“This storm touched every square-inch of our service territory. Crews had to be ready for anything, and they handled it like the professionals they are,” Moorman said.
Gordon said every possible person and crew who could respond, did.
“It’s hard to quantify all the damage. And it’s harder to work around the damage of an ice storm than a hurricane,” Gordon said.
Gordon also said each co-op did the best job they could during recovery under the harrowing circumstances left behind by Mother Nature.
“Winter Storm Fern tested more than our power system — it tested our communities. We have seen neighbors helping neighbors, patience in the face of hardship, and a resilience that reminded us why serving this area is more than a job — it’s a calling,” Robison said.
