Hundreds of thousands of residents across Mississippi and Tennessee remain without power following a severe winter storm that blanketed the region in ice and plunged temperatures into the teens. Why It MattersThe ice storm hit southern regions ill-equipped for prolonged winter weather, with officials in both Mississippi and Tennessee reporting extensive damage to power infrastructure. Winter storm watches had warned residents of up to three inches of snow in Memphis and dangerous ice across much of Tennessee and Mississippi. “Expect power outages and tree damage due to the ice,” the National Weather Service in Memphis said in a statement ahead of the storm. The National Weather Service has warned that further ice formation could continue as daytime melting refreezes overnight, creating additional hazards and delaying full recovery.