Warren Central students and faculty got an unexpected day off today after a cold front’s winds snapped a power pole overnight.

By this morning, electricity had been restored to most homes and businesses, except Warren Central and areas south of LeTourneau.

“Without power we just can’t have school there,” said Superintendent James Price. About 1,250 students attend the school on Mississippi 27. The snapped pole was in a wooded area behind the school, meaning an access path had to be cleared before replacement work started.

Countywide, Entergy, the largest provider here, said 3,200 customers lost power for various intervals, the largest number since Hurricane Katrina in August 2005. Entergy spokesman Don Arnold said only about 400 customers on U.S. 61 South were without power this morning, but they should expect to be reconnected within hours.

Peak winds in Vicksburg reached 43 mph, said Joanne Culin, meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Jackson. Winds reached 53 mph in north Mississippi, she said.

“When you get straight-line winds of 50 mph, you’re going to have some damage,” Arnold said. “Most of this was caused by trees.”

Arnold said the worst outages appeared to be in the Mississippi Delta, and that crews from Texas and Louisiana had been summoned to help restore power.