GULFPORT, Miss. – With record-breaking freezing temperatures expected throughout the Mississippi Power 23-county service territory, employees are prepared to respond quickly and safely to any weather-related power outages.

Weather forecasters are predicting temperatures as low as 12 degrees in the Meridian and Pine Belt areas, with wind chill factors in the single digits.

“While we are confident in the reliability of our system, we are monitoring the forecast very closely,” said Randall Pinkston, distribution manager. “In addition to our normal shifts, we will have an additional crew scheduled to work in non-routine hours in the event of power outages.”

While widespread outages due to winter precipitation or high winds are not expected, anytime you come across a downed power line, do not attempt to remove it. Call Mississippi Power at 1-800-532-1502 or your police or fire department to have the downed line barricaded until it can be repaired.

Extreme weather conditions can contribute to unexpected expenses for customers in need. Mississippi Power offers several programs – Project SHARE, Bill Discount, Budget Billing and Bill Extender – to assist our customers with their billing and energy needs. Mississippi Power also partners with local nonprofit agencies that provide emergency bill payment assistance to individuals. More information on these programs is available here.

If customers experience a weather-related power outage, Mississippi Power’s online Outage Map can be accessed using a phone, tablet or laptop anytime to allow customers to track utility crews as they work to safely restore power. More information, including safety tips on how to prepare your home and office for winter weather, can be found at the company’s Storm and Outage Center at www.mississippipower.com/storm.

As always, customers can report power outages by calling the Mississippi Power Customer Service Center at 1-800-532-1502.

Mississippi Power, a subsidiary of Southern Company (NYSE: SO), produces safe, reliable and environmentally responsible energy for more than 186,000 customers in 23 southeast Mississippi counties. Recognized throughout the utility industry for excellence in storm restoration and recovery efforts, Mississippi Power is the 2013 winner of the Edison Electric Institute’s Emergency Assistance Award. Visit our website at www.mississippipower.com, follow us on Twitter, or like us on Facebook.