A new report from Mayor Freddie O’Connell’s Winter Storm Response Commission notes ways Metro could have been prepared for Winter Storm Fern, January’s historic weather event that saw about 230,000 power outages to residences and businesses and multiple deaths.
The interim report, released on Aug. 14, recommends that Metro conduct an independent assessment of the Office of Emergency Management’s structure, organization, staffing and resourcing. The report also finds a need for better collaboration and communication from Nashville Electric Service both leading up to and in the aftermath of severe weather events. It notes a need for better coordination with Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster members, neighborhood organizations and other nongovernment groups.
Six weeks after Winter Storm Fern knocked out power for hundreds of thousands of people, Nashvillians are looking for answers
In addition, the report emphasizes that Metro must find more ways to reach vulnerable and non-English-speaking communities in Nashville during severe weather events.
The report's findings and recommendations are largely based on public hearings held by the commission, the event timeline and hundreds of documents related to emergency planning, preparation and the response of NES and Metro departments. The commission also conducted nearly 60 interviews to form the report.
O’Connell formed the commission in February, selecting former Gov. Phil Bredesen as chair, to investigate the city’s response to the storm. The final report must be completed by Feb. 23, 2027.
“Our goal in creating this commission was to get an honest assessment of our whole of government and key partner performance to ensure that we will be even better positioned to serve Nashvillians when the next disaster strikes,” O’Connell says in a release.
“Our office looks forward to the commission’s full report, and I’m ready to get to work addressing their interim findings.”
While the report notes some pitfalls of Metro’s response, it also says that the city should continue to build upon its strengths — such as adaptability of front-line staff and the institutional knowledge of Metro departments involved in storm response, including the Office of Emergency Management, Nashville Department of Transportation and Multimodal Infrastructure, and Metro Water Services.
“The overall storm response picture that has emerged is one of strong tactical responses to the ice storm emergency,” the report’s executive summary reads.
“But, questions about whether Nashville Electric Service and the Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County emergency management structures — including planning, staffing, training, coordination structures, information management, unified communications and organizational capacity — are strategically adequate to support modern Nashville during large-scale and prolonged disasters in the years ahead emerged.”
This follows an independent review released in June highlighting shortfalls in NES’ response including a lack of preparedness for emergency management, restoration, communications and customer service.
This article was first published by our sister publication, the Nashville Post.
