Someone Shook The Snowglobe Town
A tree leans agaisnt a powerline after being destroyed by the ice storm on Sunday, January 25, 2026 in Oxford, MS.
For the past four days, most of Oxford has trudged along without power. Writing an article with only a Bath & Body Works candle to keep me warm is a first. But adversity has been a phenomenal teacher in seeing how a community comes together in the face of disaster.
When news of a “Historic Ice Storm” was rolling through Oxford, I chuckled. Being from the south, most of the time when snow is promised, we are gifted the disappointment of very cold rain. But this time, things very quickly took a turn for the worse.
Around 4:00 AM Sunday, I was awoken to what I couldn't describe any other way than the sound of bombs going off. With each closer bang, my power flickered more and more, and finally, my room was plunged into darkness.
The bronze statue of Coolidge Ball drips with icicles outside the Pavilion on Sunday, January 25, 2026 in Oxford, MS.
After a long, restless night filled with the sounds of snapping tree branches and exploding transformers, I decided to venture out and investigate the damage myself. Walking along the icy roads, I was dodging downed power lines, slick sidewalks, and fallen tree branches wherever I looked.
When I finally made it onto campus, it was just as bad. The Grove was almost impossible to walk through without stepping over fallen trees. Even with our beloved campus in ruins, students tried to make the most of it and played pickup football outside the Student Union.
Students play pickup football outside in The Grove on Sunday, January 25, 2026 in Oxford, MS.
Walking into the Student Union, it felt completely different than usual. Students huddled around outlets, desperate to charge their phones, while people conversed without a thought for what was happening in the digital world. It felt almost like what our parents described school as before phones “ruined everything”.
As I went around asking students what their thoughts were on the storm, most were vocal about how heartbreaking it was seeing the state of the campus.
“This storm has been completely devastating. Having experienced and seen our community and campus be destroyed is truly heartbreaking. However, Oxford is a community that will come together to rebuild and come back stronger.” senior Aubrey Ross said.
As the cold weather stabilized, people began to help however they could. Social media influencers in the area, such as Cali Preiskorn and Trimiesha Joyner, posted to their stories what businesses in Oxford were open.
Ole Miss CRU students gathered to help clear fallen branches from fellow students' cars, emphasizing that this campus is way more than a party school, but a family that can survive anything Mother Nature throws at us.
A High Noon can frozen by the ice storm on Sunday, January 25, 2026 in Oxford, MS.
With the University pushing back classes until February 8th, many students are drawing parallels to when COVID first hit, with the school pushing the expected start date back further and further.
While it is heartbreaking to see the city in its current state, I know Oxford will rebound from this storm stronger than ever. But in the meantime, I'll entertain myself by watching my fellow classmates slip on the ice on our Barstool account.
