National Guard & Emergency Response

Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves has activated and deployed the Mississippi National Guard to parts of the state hit hard by an ice storm that downed power lines and caused widespread outages, with CBS reporting from Oxford. The move comes as communities cope with damaged infrastructure, hazardous roads and extended loss of electricity amid freezing conditions. Guard units are being sent in to support local authorities with storm response, including debris clearance, welfare checks and logistics around shelters and critical facilities. The deployment underscores how this winter system is stressing aging grid infrastructure and emergency services across the South, and it adds Mississippi to the list of states leaning on Guard forces as Arctic air and ice push far below the Mason‑Dixon line.