Sec. Noem met with Gov. Reeves during a roundtable at an event in Tupelo, MS. (Courtesy of DHS)
"There's no doubt that Mississippi got hit hard in this ice storm and ice is unlike anything we've ever seen before," Reeves told Fox News Digital, as Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem joined him in visiting a Mississippi National Guard facility in Tupelo, Miss.
"We appreciate the fact that she understands that these disasters are state-managed, locally executed, and federally supported," the governor said. "I will tell you the team at FEMA has been integrated with our team at the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency since the very beginning of this storm and when we need assets they have delivered, and I am very thankful for that."
Noem told Fox News Digital she thought FEMA did "a great job."
People walk through near-whiteout conditions during a winter storm on Jan. 25, 2026, in Louisville, Kentucky. The storm brought extreme cold, snow and ice across the state and was linked to multiple weather-related deaths. (Jon Cherry/Getty Images)
Last June, Trump indicated that the administration would "wean off of FEMA," after hurricane season ended last year. By using a block grant system, the current version of FEMA does allow states to make decisions on which contractors to use and gives state leaders the opportunity to decide how to best equip their states with the resources they need.
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Cities across the country are still dealing with the fallout resulting from winter storm damage and cold weather continues to linger.
FOX Weather reported a major disruption to the Polar Vortex is coming in February, which would allow freezing arctic air to seep into the eastern U.S.
Preston Mizell is a writer with Fox News. Story tips can be sent to Preston.Mizell@fox.com and on X @MizellPreston
Preston Mizell is a writer with Fox News Digital covering breaking news.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/noem-coordinates-mississippi-officials-state-recovers-from-deadly-winter-storm