(WBEN) - A Buffalo-based outreach group that has plenty of experience in helping people during winter weather is turning their attention south after this past weekend's storm that gripped much of the nation.
Eight Days of Hope is deploying what they call their Mass Feeding arm to Northeast Mississippi to help those left without food, water, or electricity.
"Mississippi has about a third of the power outages throughout the country," Eight Days of Hope Organizer Steve Tybor told WBEN. "About 140,000 families without power are in Mississippi. They'll be without power for at least 10 days to three weeks."
The lengthy power outages highlight the impact the storm has had on areas of the country not equipped to deal with severe winter weather.
"Here in Western New York you can get 12 inches of snow and the roads are wet that evening," Tybor said. "These ice storms have created so much damage in Mississippi and Tennessee... There's elderly families who have a tree blocking their driveway or in front of their house and they can't get out. Here we are in day number four and 140,000 families in Mississippi don't have power and don't know when it's going to come back on."
Tybor said the group will also be traveling to Oxford, Mississippi to help that area recover from downed trees and power lines.
People looking to volunteer their time in Mississippi with Eight Days of Hope can go and find more information on their website.