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Blog · October 2026
After the 2026 ice storm: roof damage and rodents
The January ice storm is months behind us, but a lot of the damage it did to Oxford rooflines is still there. Cracked soffits, bent vents and limbs resting on roofs are exactly what roof rats look for when the weather turns.
- ~75% of the county lost power
- Most ice since 1994
- Check the roofline
- Fall is the window
Short on time? Jump to the roofline checklist.
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Can storm damage let rats into your house?
Yes. Rats and mice use the smallest openings, about 1/2 inch for a rat and 1/4 inch for a mouse, and storm damage creates new ones: cracked soffits, bent gable and ridge vents, loose fascia, lifted shingles at roof edges, and limbs now resting on the roof. The January 24, 2026 ice storm left about 20,000 Lafayette County customers, roughly three in four, without power at its peak, and the governor called it the most ice since 1994. Many of those homes had limbs come down on rooflines. If the damage was patched in a hurry or not at all, fall is the time to check, because rodents move indoors as nights cool, and Oxford’s first frost averages about October 26.
What the storm did
What the January 2026 ice storm did to Lafayette County
Figures from Mississippi Today, the Associated Press and the Daily Journal coverage of the storm.
The storm hit on Saturday, January 24, 2026. Gov. Tate Reeves said it brought the most ice the state had seen since 1994. Statewide, outages peaked around 180,000 customers. In Lafayette County, about 20,000 customers, roughly three quarters of the county, lost power, and Oxford and Lafayette County schools closed for the week.
Trees split under the weight of the ice and dropped heavy limbs on roads, lines and houses. Most Oxford customers had power back by early February, but two weeks after the storm, Lafayette County still had the most remaining outages in the state, about 4,200 customers, many in the rural areas around town.
Why it matters
Why storm damage matters for rats and mice
Roof rats travel by trees and rooflines. The storm rearranged both.
New openings
A limb that hit the eaves can crack a soffit or pop a vent screen. That is a ready-made door for a roof rat.
Limbs on the roof
Branches that bent down and stayed down give rats a bridge from the tree to the roof edge.
Debris piles
Brush and limb piles left near the house are shelter for rats and mice right next to your foundation.
Quick patches
Damage patched fast in the cold with foam or tape often fails. Rodents chew through foam easily.
Fall timing
Rodents move in as nights cool. Gaps left over from January are being found now.
Hidden damage
Roof returns and the backs of gutters are hard to see from the ground. Many homeowners never checked up there.
Roofline checklist
A roofline checklist for storm-damaged homes
Most of this you can check from the ground and the attic hatch.
Soffits and fascia
Look for cracks, gaps or sagging where limbs hit. A gap you can slide a finger into is too big.
Vents
Gable, ridge and soffit vents: are the screens intact and tight? Bent screens are a common entry.
Roof returns
Where roof lines meet, check for gaps behind the gutters and at the corners.
Limbs
Any branch touching the roof or hanging within a few feet of it should be cut back.
Debris
Haul away limb and brush piles near the house, or move them well away from the foundation.
Inside the attic
On a sunny day, look for daylight at the eaves and for droppings in the insulation.
Hearing noise overhead at night? Our attic noises guide helps tell rats from squirrels.
Insurance
Does insurance cover rodents that got in through storm damage?
Short version: the rodents are on you, but the storm damage might not be.
Most homeowners policies exclude rodent removal and the damage rodents do as a maintenance issue. But if a covered event like the ice storm damaged your roof and that opening let rodents in, it is worth asking your agent whether the storm repair itself is covered. A fire caused by chewed wiring is often covered even when the rodents are not.
Keep photos of the storm damage and of any repair. This is general information, not insurance advice; check your own policy. More in our cost guide.
Storm-damaged roofline?
Want the roofline checked before winter?
Call or send the form. We walk the whole roofline, find every gap, storm-made or not, and seal it with metal. The price is in writing first.
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Straight answers
Storm and rodent questions
Can rats get in through a damaged soffit?
Yes. A rat can get through a gap about 1/2 inch wide, and a cracked or loose soffit easily opens that much. Roof rats climb trees and run along rooflines, so soffit and vent damage is one of their main ways in.
Should I cut limbs touching my roof?
Yes. Branches touching or hanging over the roof are a highway for roof rats and squirrels. Trimming them back is one of the cheapest things you can do.
Is foam good enough to patch storm gaps?
Not on its own. Rodents chew through expanding foam. Use metal: hardware cloth, flashing or copper mesh, with sealant to hold it.
Why are we hearing rats now when the storm was in January?
Because rodents move indoors as nights cool in fall. Gaps the storm opened in January may have gone unused all summer and are being found now.
Do brush piles from the storm attract rats?
They can. Limb and brush piles near the house give rats and mice cover right next to your foundation. Move them well away from the house or haul them off.
Keep reading
Related rodent help for Oxford homes
Sources
Last reviewed October 2026 by the Rodent Control Oxford team. Biology and control standards follow Mississippi State University Extension and the CDC. Price ranges are labeled benchmarks; your price comes in writing after we inspect.
- Mississippi Today, January 2026 winter storm coverage
- Associated Press via News4JAX, Mississippians near two weeks without power after winter storm
- Daily Journal, Power restored to most of Oxford
- CDC, Seal Up
- Policygenius, Does Homeowners Insurance Cover Rat Damage
- Old Farmer’s Almanac, frost dates for Oxford, MS (NOAA normals)
Oxford & Lafayette County
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