For many in Vicksburg and Warren County, Wednesday was dark and cold, as power outages cascaded throughout the county.

Freezing rain combined with below-freezing temperatures allowed ice to form on power lines and trees, leading to a dangerous combination. Throughout Wednesday evening and overnight, there were countless reports of downed power lines as tree limbs and trees, weighed down by the ice, began to break and fall.

As of 7:30 a.m. Thursday, more than 6,500 Entergy customers within Warren County were still without power.

Shelia McKinnis, a spokesperson for Entergy, said more than 100 restoration workers were in the area assessing damage and restoring power as they go along.

“They do their best assessments at daylight, so right now they are still assessing the damage,” McKinnis said.

At the time of publication, Entergy reported 4,943 customers in downtown Vicksburg and south of Interstate 20 were without power, while another 1,654 customers who live north of Interstate 20 were also without power.

Wednesday night, as conditions worsened crews with the Yazoo Valley Electric Power, which provides power to residents in northern Warren County, pulled back its crews for safety.

“Weather conditions have taken a turn for the worse,” it said in a post on social media. “Falling debris, icicles, tree limbs and icy roads are making it almost impossible for our linemen to safely restore power. We will resume power restoration efforts bright and early in the morning (Thursday). The safety of our employees is always our top priority.”