Emergency crews dispatched to ice-covered highways in Mississippi have been working tirelessly overnight and into Wednesday morning to assist stranded vehicles as the eastern U.S. grapples with what officials describe as potentially the longest period of frigid temperatures in decades.
Traffic woes are impacting Interstate 55 and other significant roads in northern Mississippi, as Governor Tate Reeves highlighted in a recent social media update. He emphasized that road conditions are hazardous and advised drivers to remain off the highways. The Mississippi National Guard has deployed soldiers equipped with tow trucks to assist in recovery efforts.
On I-22 and nearby Highway 178, thick sheets of ice have left many vehicles stranded in a small community known as Red Banks, where local residents reported that highways now resemble parking lots, with numerous vehicles running out of gas and left abandoned.
Local authorities have been calling on residents with all-terrain vehicles to supply food, water, blankets, and fuel to those stuck on the roadside.
As nearly 380,000 homes and businesses are still without power, the situation remains dire. The storm's toll has included at least 50 fatalities across multiple states as a consequence of the extreme cold.
The National Weather Service indicates that temperatures in the Midwest and Northeast are projected to stay significantly below freezing throughout Wednesday, compounding the struggle.
Many people in the affected areas are resorting to dangerous measures for warmth, with an alarming spike in carbon monoxide poisoning cases reported at hospitals in Nashville due to residents using fuel-burning generators and stoves to heat their homes.
As weather forecasts indicate another arctic blast could further hit the region on Friday and Saturday, residents are urged to remain vigilant and prepared as forecasts suggest record low temperatures might stretch across many parts of the southeastern U.S.
