‘Try to hold the line’: More outages possible overnight in Nashville amid ‘extraordinary winter event’

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WSMV) — As hundreds of thousands of Davidson County residents face a biting evening without power or heat amid an unprecedented winter storm, Metro Nashville officials gave a frank update Sunday afternoon:

“We can’t make this a pretty picture, it’s going to get cold,” a Nashville Fire Department official said.

Sleet and freezing rain slicked roads, ripped trees out of the ground and wrenched power lines from the sky overnight across Middle Tennessee.

Officials said about 300 line workers were out Sunday afternoon attempting to restore power in the metro area. The Nashville Electric Service was able to reduce the total number of customers impacted by outages from about 230,000 to about 215,000.

But that number is likely to rise again. Mayor Freddie O’Connell urged residents to brace for another brutally frigid night.

“Tonight we do expect this cold weather and there will be some winds that will increase the risk of power outages,” an NES official said. “So as much as that is frustrating for everybody, our crews are going to continue to work to make progress and try to hold the line through this evening’s event and the next couple of days.”

The mayor said this weekend’s glacial impacts are unlike anything he’s seen in Music City.

“Having grown up in Nashville, I can’t remember an ice event in terms of this impact, or even a tornado,” O’Connell said.

Emergency warming shelters are available for residents without power this evening. Police precincts and fire stations have also been opened up to the public for warming.

City leaders encouraged residents to first try to go to the Nashville Rescue Mission. See a list of shelters across the state here.

Metro Nashville residents can call Mobility Solutions at 615-844-3399 for transportation to a warming shelter. The sooner that call is made, the better, officials said.

“I think this shouldn’t be lost on anybody right now that this is an extraordinary winter event,” O’Connell said.

NES and the Nashville Department of Transportation have called in contractors to assist with the storm response, but officials were cautious to temper expectations, saying outages will likely last days.

“This will be prolonged,” an NES official said Sunday afternoon.

He said residents should be prepared for a “multi-day event” and look for regular updates from officials. Leaders said it is still too early in the storm to estimate when power will be restored.

As conditions continue to worsen, officials asked residents to try to be patient. They said the local emergency response programs are under strain.

“The 911 system is overwhelmed,” a city official said during Sunday’s press conference. “We are receiving a lot of calls right now.”

Debris removal requests can be submitted by calling 311 or on HubNashville by clicking here. The leader asked residents to try to help “keep the 9-1-1 lines clear for emergencies involving:”

• health-related incidents
• power lines
• other emergencies.

“Above all, prioritize your safety and the safety of your household. The weather will continue to worsen… overall, we want you to be safe,” he said.

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