Mayor Freddie O’Connell and Metro agency leaders joined a conference call Monday morning to provide updates on the city’s response to extreme low temperatures, icy roads and widespread power outages.
O’Connell said the city has made “impressive progress” since speaking to the press on Sunday, the same day he declared a local state of emergency.
“We were able to bring power back to about 50,000 NES customers,” O’Connell said. “We’re now at about 175,000 without power.” However, he noted it will still take “several days” to get power restored to all parts of Nashville.
Brent Baker, chief of operations and innovation for Nashville Electric Service, said the power company has nearly doubled its workforce and has activated “vegetation management crews” to deal with falling trees, which continue to present challenges to restoring power. Baker warned this will be a “prolonged event.”
Nashville Department of Transportation director Phillip Jones said the city has plowed and salted 10,000 lane miles and that “primary routes are in passable condition,” with efforts underway to clear secondary routes. He added that 800 locations affected by trees had been identified, and while 150 have been addressed, the number is expected to grow as trees continue to collapse from ice accumulation.
Reporting more than 215,000 power outages, city officials provide updates on temporary warming centers, primary snow routes
Officials also urged households that have lost heat to take advantage of the emergency shelters established across the city. All fire departments and most police precincts are staying open 24 hours to welcome visitors (though without accommodations like bedding). Shelters were also established at The Fairgrounds Nashville, the Madison Community Center and the Southeast Community Center.
Nashvillians have started taking advantage of these spaces. Office of Emergency Services Director-Chief William Swann said the Southeast Community Center has received 30 individuals, Madison 25 and the fairgrounds 50. The fairgrounds location offers overnight accommodations and food. (Totals for precinct and fire station visits were not yet available.)
Officials noted that emergency shelters for unhoused Nashvillians are also available. The winter shelter at Brick Church Pike has been assisting 200 people every night for the past 17 evenings, and another shelter has opened at 611 Stockell St. O’Connell announced that a hotline will be established to assist transportation to shelters.
While three deaths have been reported in Tennessee, Swann said the city hasn’t received reports of fatalities in Nashville. But officials continued to stress that this event won’t resolve overnight, and to take precautions for travel safety and warmth.
O'Connell said there had been no reports of damage to commercial or small businesses in the community. He urged those who could to ensure water was dripping inside those buildings to avoid frozen pipes.
For those who have experienced damage, Nashville leaders urged one word: document. Nashville is currently under an emergency declaration, and it's not clear yet if the Federal Emergency Management Agency will enter into the picture. O'Connell noted that he has been having conversations with state and federal partners.
"We want you to document everything," said Swann. "Take pictures. Those are key elements. Once we get the infrastructure back in place and debris removed, from the burst pipes to trees in houses, this will be critical for us in the declaration phase. Document, take pictures. It will make things a lot better. This is a long haul, and this is a long drawn-out process. This will take a lot of perseverance. We want to make sure we get everyone as stable as we can."
Emily R. West contributed reporting.
