Nashville Electric Service prepares for winter storm outages

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WSMV) — Nashville Electric Service is preparing crews and equipment as Middle Tennessee braces for a major winter storm that could cause widespread power outages.

NES officials say ice poses the biggest threat to power lines and could lead to outages across the region.

The utility company has scheduled extra crews to work as the storm arrives.

“We already have a plan for Friday evening. Extra crews are going to work through the evening as the weather comes in. And when daylight hits, how many more crews will be showing up,” said Brent Baker, NES executive vice president.

He says crews will work 14-to-16-hour shifts throughout the weekend as the storm moves through the area. NES cannot predict how much ice accumulation the area will receive, which makes planning challenging.

“Ice can either form on the wires and cause a problem for the strength of the cross arms and the different things that hold it up. But also, trees become a big issue if a tree falls into our lines because of ice,” Baker said. “That ends up being our bigger issue.”

Benjamin Haynes, a Nashville resident, said his family is preparing for potential outages. His parent’s home is surrounded by trees, which has led to several outages during past storms.

“We’re getting ready. Getting some salt out for my parents here and doing the same at our house,” Haynes said.

When power goes out, Haynes said his parents “bundle up. They get by the fireplace, and they make do with the blankets and heaters.”

If widespread outages occur, NES will prioritize restoring power to areas that can bring the most customers back online quickly.

“If we do have multiple thousand customers out, we’ll try to get big patches of customers on first,” Baker said. “We are staffed up and gearing up for the worst possible scenario.”

The utility company advises customers to prepare by ensuring vehicles have full gas tanks and electronic devices are fully charged.

Customers can report outages by texting “OUT” to 637797, or by calling NES at 615-234-000. Customers can also report an outage using the company’s online outage map.

If a power line falls near a home, NES advises staying at least 20 feet away and reporting it immediately.

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