Mississippi Refrigeration Trailer Rentals

What drives cold-storage demand in Mississippi

Weather and hazards

• Hurricane (Late summer and fall (August to October)): Hurricane Camille (1969) and Hurricane Katrina (2005) were the most devastating storms; Katrina's storm surge reached 27.8 ft at Pass Christian and flooded areas 6 to 12 miles inland. Coastal storms can destroy or shut down kitchens and refrigeration and often leave communities without power for weeks. Source
• Tornado (Winter and spring in the north, later in the year in the south): Mississippi averages about 27 tornadoes a year. An EF4 tornado struck Rolling Fork on March 24, 2023, killing 17 people. Tornado damage to power lines and buildings can interrupt refrigeration and food service in small towns for days. Source
• Flood (December to June): Seasonal flooding is possible along the Mississippi and Yazoo rivers in the Delta, and the 1927 flood inundated about 27,000 square miles. River flooding can cut off roads and power and force food businesses to relocate or replace refrigeration. Source
• Heat wave (June to September): The state's all-time high was 115F at Holly Springs in 1930, and summer highs commonly reach the 90s. Extreme heat can overload refrigeration and raise demand for added cold storage at events. Source
• Other (Any time of year): Jackson's largest water treatment plant failed in August 2022, leaving tap water untreated, and boil water orders were issued in 2021 and 2022. Loss of safe water can shut commercial kitchens and often creates a need for temporary warewashing and mobile kitchens. Source

Power outages

• After Hurricane Katrina in 2005, more than 900,000 people in Mississippi (about 64 percent of the state's electric customers) lost power, with outages lasting as long as four weeks. Multi-week outages can spoil all refrigerated stock and often drive demand for temporary cold storage. Source
• About 97 percent of the Jackson metro area lost power during Katrina, even though the city is far inland. Inland cities can lose refrigeration for extended periods after Gulf hurricanes. Source
• In Hattiesburg, about 75 miles inland, Katrina blocked roughly 80 percent of city roads with trees and caused power outages of up to 14 days. Debris and long outages can delay restoration and keep restaurants and stores closed. Source

Food and hospitality

• Mississippi produces more than half of the country's farm-raised catfish. Aquaculture harvesting and processing rely on chilled handling and storage. Source
• Forest, Mississippi has poultry processors including Koch Foods, Tyson Foods and Forest Packing Company. Poultry processing creates large, steady cold storage needs and sees spikes when plants have outages. Source
• The Mississippi Gulf Coast became the second-largest U.S. gaming area by gaming space after casinos were legalized in the early 1990s, and Tunica is the third-largest. Casino resorts run very large kitchens and buffets that need heavy refrigeration and warewashing capacity. Source
• Biloxi's seafood processing grew from the first cannery opened in 1881, and shrimp remains a local industry alongside eight casinos. Seafood handling and hospitality both depend on reliable cold storage. Source
• The Port of Gulfport is described as one of the busiest ports in the Gulf of Mexico. Port traffic supports cold chain and overflow warehousing demand. Source