MISS. Senators Commit to LONG Recovery as Mississippi Overcomes Winter Storm FERN

Wednesday, February 4, 2026
MISS. SENATORS COMMIT TO LONG RECOVERY AS MISSISSIPPI OVERCOMES WINTER STORM FERN
VIDEO:  Senators Wicker and Hyde-Smith Address Winter Storm Fern Damages and Recovery.
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) and Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.) today affirmed their readiness to support additional federal aid to Mississippi as the state continues cleaning up and assessing damage caused by Winter Storm Fern.
Wicker and Hyde-Smith on Wednesday delivered floor speeches a day after Governor Tate Reeves submitted a request for a major emergency disaster declaration for the state.  In their remarks, the Senators cited the tragic loss of at least 26 lives in Mississippi, damage and the loss of electrical power for tens of thousands of homes and businesses, and the extraordinary groundswell of individual, community, state, and federal actions to overcome the wrath of snow and ice on the state.
“I commend local leaders, mayors, commissioners, and the response team from FEMA. We’re thankful for what they’ve done and for their resilience.  I’ve said this in past years:  In Mississippi, our federal delegation is in this for the long haul, just like we were with the tornadoes that occurred earlier.  We’re grateful to the president and for our friends at FEMA for helping us recover,”
Senator Wicker said.
“This powerful storm has affected millions of Americans across the country, but its effects were especially severe in the South, a region not typically equipped to manage prolonged snow, ice, sleet, and dangerous winter conditions.  This storm was particularly devastating in Mississippi, a state that simply lacks the infrastructure and equipment necessary to respond to a storm of this magnitude,”
Senator Hyde-Smith said.
“I, along with fellow members of the Mississippi congressional delegation, strongly support Governor Reeves’s request for a major disaster declaration and we encourage President Trump to approve it swiftly.  I ask my colleagues and the American people to keep the people of my state and everyone harmed by Winter Storm Fern in your prayers.”
The Mississippi Senators and their staff have engaged federal, state, and local officials, as well as the public, in the aftermath of Winter Storm Fern.  They encouraged Mississippians to continue contacting their offices as the storm recovery process moves forward in the coming months.
A copy of Senator Wicker’s remarks is available
here
.
A copy of Senator Hyde-Smith’s remarks is available
here
.
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