By the numbers
- more than 30,000 outages in Nashville as of Sunday morning
- more than 50,000 customers across Tennessee without power
- 27 water utilities in the state report issues related to weather; 18 have issued boil water advisories
- Fewer than 10 active and possible water main breaks in Nashville
- 21 storm-related deaths confirmed statewide by Tennessee Department of Health
- Four confirmed deaths in Nashville and a fifth believed linked to the cold weather
NES takes heat from public and city officials
There is increasing scrutiny of Nashville Electric Service, even as the utility tries to improve progress in restoring power to customers and improve communications. On Saturday night, President & CEO Teresa Broyles Aplin posted a video statement on Facebook, providing an update of power restoration progress. She says 90% of outages will be restored by Tuesday and 99% by Sunday, February 8th.
Broyles touts NES’ new website tool that lets customers track the status of outages, where work is happening, and when power will be restored. She also addresses the delays.
“Why did it take us so much time to get this information to you?” Broyles says in the video. “First we had to rebuild some key infrastructure which had been severely damaged across the entire service area. We cannot provide any specific projections before these repairs were made. Secondly, we had to do a street by street review to understand the impact of downed lines and poles and what it would take to bring each area back.”
The video was released shortly after Mayor Freddie O’Connell issued a statement saying the “…proposed pace of restoration is unacceptable..” and summoning NES leaders to meet with him today for a briefing.
Relief fund running out of money
City leaders set up the “Winter Storm Relief Fund” on January 29th for people to apply by calling 211 for needs ranging from food, supplies, temporary housing and debris cleanup. The fund is a partnership between United Way, the Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee and Volunteer Organizations Active in Disaster and had more than $570,000 in donations as of Sunday.
However, a separate program offering discounted or free lodging deals from hotels and short-term rental websites is at capacity and is no longer being offered, according to a spokesperson at United Way of Greater Nashville.
Additional aid includes four city-run overnight shelters — where roughly 400 people have been sleeping each night in the last week.
Tennessee Emergency Management Update and Increased Scams
TEMA is asking anyone whose home has been impacted by Winter Storm Fern to complete a survey to report any damages. The survey helps the state better understand the types and extent of damage Tennesseans are experiencing so assistance can be directed where it is needed most.
The agency issued an alert about an uptick in scams. Residents report receiving text messages, phone calls, and emails falsely claiming to be from TBI and 1-800-TBI-FIND in relationship to the winter storm. They warn that TBI will never ask for money or financial account information at the hotline.
A real-time map and dashboard of impacted water systems in the state has been created by The Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation.
Lives lost statewide
Four deaths have been confirmed in Nashville related to winter storm impacts. A fifth fatality is believed to be linked to weather and being investigated by the Medical Examiner.
These are the people who have died in Davidson County:
- Francis Pilkington, 93, who fell inside an assisted living facility
- Sharon Conyers, 46, who fell down a hill near Lindell and Wedgewood avenues
- Almaquio Martinez Olivera, 39, who is suspected to have suffered carbon monoxide poisoning from a generator
- James Mitchell, 92, who was near a generator
- Betty Doss, 79, died in her Madison home, which had no power or heat (pending Medical Examiner report)
There have been at least 21 deaths across the state related to Winter Storm Fern, according to the Tennessee Department of Health. And another death is confirmed to be related to a separate winter weather event on Friday in East Tennessee.
Several are related to carbon monoxide from portable backup generators used to provide power. Health officials issued warnings, including:
- Never use a generator inside your home or garage even with the windows and doors are open.
- Only use generators outside, more than 20 feet away from your home, doors, and windows.
Seeking federal help
Governor Bill Lee has requested that President Donald Trump grant an Expedited Major Disaster Declaration for 23 Tennessee counties recovering from the winter storm. Lee says he’s hopeful Trump will issue the declaration quickly.
Lee asked for the Federal Emergency Management Agency to provide both Public Assistance and Individual Assistance. The former would reimburse state and local governments and some nonprofits for their recovery work and infrastructure repairs. The latter would go directly to Tennesseans to help with the costs of temporary housing, home repairs and other expenses not covered by insurance.
Reported Saturday:
This morning, NES announced it now has more than 1,100 line workers from seven states in the field. Also today, the utility unveiled an improved real-time website to detail where crews are working AND a Residential Service Status Tracker that gives estimated dates for power to be restored by zip code. The public utility is receiving assistance from agencies like Nashville’s transportation department to serve hard-to-reach areas. By Tuesday, 85% of power should be restored and by February 8th, 99% of power should be restored.
This comes as city and state leaders have demanded NES be more transparent about when power is expected to be fully restored. U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn sent a heated letter to the utility’s CEO on Saturday demanding accountability.
Some officials are concerned that extended power outages could be contributing to some deaths, as residents use backup generators that emit carbon monoxide. Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell addressed that at a media briefing on Saturday afternoon.
“Not only have we seen an uptick in carbon monoxide cases in local medical centers, a couple of the deaths seem to be related to that, so safety with generator access is also critically important,” said O’Connell.
Reported Friday:
Slow recovery; NES scrutiny
Power restoration could still take days, and more frigid temperatures are coming.
Tensions have become evident over Nashville Electric Service’s handling of the situation, including questions from Mayor Freddie O’Connell.
“Even if it’s bad news, share the bad news because it’s better to have that than just no understanding of what is going on,” O’Connell said.
NES officials acknowledge communications have been a struggle, including faulty alerts telling people their power is back on … when it isn’t. And, there’s still no timeline for when people without power will get it back.
“The one thing we don’t want to do is give inaccurate information, but we absolutely have to start giving more information, which is what we’re working on,” said Brent Baker, NES chief operations officer.
Facing intense public scrutiny — and an unprecedented amount of grid damage — NES is promising more information sharing and larger crews.
In an NES briefing at 3 p.m. Friday, the utility said it hoped to have a better real-time website live around 9 p.m. Friday night. It should detail where crews are working, with updates down to the individual customer level.
NES is challenged by the most devastation it has ever seen, with more than 360 poles damaged. Each pole replacement can take up to 10 hours.
The utility says it will have 1700 personnel working Saturday, bolstered by state agencies and TVA.
NES is thanking those who have supported its frontline workers — while also noting a rash of threats and some vandalism of employee vehicles.
Relief fund
Nashville leaders have unveiled a new relief fund. The “Winter Storm Relief Fund” is now available for people to apply, which can be done by calling 211.
Dollars will be used to help residents purchase food and supplies and could be handed out starting next weeks.
In the coming days, it will also be used to assist with debris cleanup.
The fund is a partnership between United Way, the Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee and Volunteer Organizations Active in Disaster. It has already received its first major donation: $250,000 from Tractor Supply to kickstart the purse.
Additional aid available includes four city-run overnight shelters — where roughly 400 people have been sleeping each night this week — and also discounted or free lodging deals from hotels and short-term rental websites.
Tennessee Emergency Management Update
TEMA is asking anyone whose home has been impacted by Winter Storm Fern to complete a survey to report any damages. The survey helps the state better understand the types and extent of damage Tennesseans are experiencing so assistance can be directed where it is needed most.
The agency issued an alert about an uptick in scams. Residents report receiving text messages, phone calls, and emails falsely claiming to be from TBI and 1-800-TBI-FIND in relationship to the winter storm. They warn that TBI will never ask for money or financial account information at the hotline.
Lives lost in Nashville
On Friday, Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell acknowledged the four residents who have died in the storm.
The Tennessee Emergency Management Agency says four people have died in Davidson County. One death was a 90-year-old woman in an assisted living facility who fell while her power was out. Another was a woman who slid down a hill near Lindell and Wedgewood Avenues and was found by a passer-by. Two people are suspected to have died from carbon monoxide poisoning.
- Francis Pilkington, 93, who fell inside an assisted living facility
- Sharon Conyers, 46, who fell down a hill near Lindell and Wedgewood avenues
- Almaquio Martinez Olivera, 39, who is suspected to have suffered carbon monoxide poisoning from a generator
- James Mitchell, 92, who was near a generator
A fifth person, Betty Doss, 79, is suspected to have died from weather-related conditions. Her home in Madison had no power or heat when she was discovered by her daughter on Friday. MNPD is investigating and the Medical examiner will determine the cause of death.
There have been at least 21 deaths across the state, according to the Tennessee Department of Health.
Seeking federal help
Governor Bill Lee has requested that President Donald Trump grant an Expedited Major Disaster Declaration for 23 Tennessee counties recovering from the winter storm. Lee says he’s hopeful Trump will issue the declaration quickly.
Lee asked for the Federal Emergency Management Agency to provide both Public Assistance and Individual Assistance. The former would reimburse state and local governments and some nonprofits for their recovery work and infrastructure repairs. The latter would go directly to Tennesseans to help with the costs of temporary housing, home repairs and other expenses not covered by insurance.
Bitter cold returns
Fears are growing about refreezing on city roads. Overnight windchills could be below zero this weekend.
Officials warn that many traffic lights are still out and say they’re treating roads again before the next cold snap.
The Nashville Department of Transportation says it has more than 40 crews working across Davidson County, along with help from the state and the National Guard.
Meanwhile, some Metro services are resuming — with libraries reopening and trash pickup in some areas.
Some schools out Monday
Two school districts, thus far, have called off school for Monday. Those are: Cheatham and Dickson counties.
Metro Schools has exhausted its supploy of snow days, and officials say they may seek a state waiver from the mandate of 180 days of instruction per school year.
Caught between cold and ICE
The fear of being deported has some Nashville area immigrants staying in their homes despite days without power and overnight lows well below freezing.
Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition Executive Director Lisa Sherman Luna said many people without legal status have avoided calling 911 or going shelters.
“All of us should be really disturbed right now that we have whole sections of our communities in Nashville who are going to face more hardship because they’re having to make tough choices like stay in their homes and not go to a warming center and the risk that that puts on people,” Sherman Luna said.
TIRRC has organized a phone bank to check on vulnerable households.
Another immigrant rights group, The ReMIX Way, voiced concerns about the arrival of Tennessee National Guard troops for Nashville recovery efforts, saying troops have been used to “intimidate communities of color, including in their recent deployment in Memphis.” According to TEMA, 120 guardsmen have been deployed to Nashville.
The ReMIX Way says seeing uniformed guardsmen or police can trigger fear of deportation and mistrust. They urge city leaders to limit guard responsibilities to infrastructure repair and avoid sending them to public-facing assignments like welfare checks or shelters.
Tree canopy devastation
Thousands of trees have fallen across Middle Tennessee, and even more have been damaged.
But Chris Leonard with the Nashville Tree Conservation Corps says the picture might not be as grim as it appears.
“A surprising amount of the damage that you see is going to be to trees that are resilient enough to bounce back. In some cases we’re not going to really know until the thaw comes,” he said.
Leonard’s group is offering educational resources for people trying to figure out how to deal with tree debris, when to call an arborist and what to plant next for a more resilient future.
Local naturalist Jo Brichetto agrees the canopy could come back in a smarter, healthier way. But she acknowledges this week has been far worse than the 1994 ice storm.
“It was utterly terrifying,” she said.
Reported Thursday:
Stay on the line
Nashville’s 911 service is experiencing delays. The Department of Emergency Communications is urging residents to not hang up when they call in with an emergency and instead remain on the line. Hanging up causes callers to be moved to the back of the queue when they call back.
Patrice Coleman, acting director of DEC, says that the department is experiencing a high volume of calls, but did not know the average response time.
“There’s an influx of calls due to power outages and many other things that are occurring,” Coleman said Wednesday. “Please allow our staff time to answer your call. It will be answered but you will overwhelm the system if you continue to hang up and then continue to call back.”
Dangers remain
There have been 13 weather-related deaths statewide.
The Tennessee Emergency Management Agency says four people have died in Davidson County. One death was a 90-year-old woman in an assisted living facility who fell while her power was out. Another was a woman who slid down a hill near Lindell and Wedgewood Avenues and was found by a passer-by. Two people are suspected to have died from carbon monoxide poisoning.
Nashville hospitals are seeing an uptick in cases of carbon monoxide poisoning.
Vanderbilt’s Monroe Carrell Jr. Children’s hospital has treated more than 20 patients in recent days, and they expect to see even more cases since a leading cause of the poisoning is improper use or ventilation of generators and heat sources. Generators should be at least 20 feet away from the home, and authorities advise the use of carbon monoxide alarms.
The hospital warns children are at higher risk for poisoning and can suffer severe effects. Symptoms include headache, fatigue and nausea. If multiple people in the home start exhibiting symptoms, Vanderbilt advises immediately getting fresh air and seeking medical attention.Nashville Police Chief John Drake is urging people to be vigilant, as icy roads, downed power lines and frigid temperatures remain dangerous.
“If you don’t have to be out, please take advantage of that and don’t be out on the roads,” Drake said Tuesday. “If you see power lines down, treat every power line as a live wire. Do not touch it and stay away from it. Be careful standing under this ice. As our temperatures go to 32 degrees, you’ll see large amounts of ice drop from power lines and from trees, et cetera. These could potentially be dangerous.”
More helping hands
Additional personnel from the state are being deployed to aid in recovery efforts. The Tennessee National Guard has been activated to help with clearing debris in Hardin, Hickman, Davidson, Shelby, Perry, and Lewis counties. According to TEMA, guardsmen have helped hundreds of stranded motorists since Saturday and transported hundreds of first responders and health care workers.
Personnel from the state’s Department of Agriculture and Forestry are also lending a hand. Crews with chainsaws and bulldozers are working in coordination with TEMA in a dozen counties across Middle and West Tennessee. They’re clearing fallen trees and branches that made some roads impassible so that trapped residents can get out and utilities can get in to restore power.
Water concerns
Even as the sun comes out and temperatures begin to — briefly— rise, ramifications from the winter storm continue.
Water now becomes one of the gravest risks, especially in warmer temperatures. As the ground begins to defrost, soil and underground pipes can shift, causing those pipes to break. That has prompted a dozen utilities across Hardin, Hardeman, Henderson, Hickman, Lewis McNairy and Perry Counties to issue boil water advisories.
There were 14 confirmed water main breaks in Nashville at 5:30 p.m. Thursday. Metro Water is investigating more than a dozen additional possible breaks. Three water pumping stations are currently without power, but downed electrical lines and trees have prevented crews from accessing them and bringing them back online. You can find a map Nashville of water main breaks here.
Main breaks can often be identified by water running in the street. The city is asking residents to call 615-862-4600 if they see water in the roads.
The other water risk is pipes freezing. That is why the city is encouraging residents to continue to drip their faucets. Metro Water Services Director Scott Potter says it’s clear people are doing this — given that roughly 35 million more gallons are being used every day than usual. Still, Potter assures residents that it should not cause any major spikes to water bills.
“If you let your faucet run for 24 hours, the worst-case scenario is it will drip about 40 gallons per day,” Potter told reporters Tuesday, “so if you do that math, you can have three faucets running a day for 24 hours, protecting your home plumbing, it will cost you $1.70.”
Reported Wednesday:
Slow progress on electricity
As of Wednesday at 8 p.m., roughly 115,000 homes and businesses were still without power in Tennessee. Recovery efforts have been slowed by ice, downed trees and damaged utility poles.
There has been some progress, with power restored for residents like Melissa Erin, who has a toddler in South Nashville.
“I wasn’t really eager to load up the car,” she said. “I’m from the Northeast originally, so I’m used to snow, but black ice is no joke anywhere. We were just really grateful and fortunate to let our neighbors know and text friends to let them know they could come over if they needed a warm place.”
Power has been restored for about 100,000 customers in Nashville as the Nashville Electric Service has deployed about 300 lineworkers across its service area for repairs. However, the company warned that repairs could take several days, and some people may need to find shelter.
Even with thousands still lacking electricity, the extreme cold is creating a high demand from area utilities. While the Tennessee Valley Authority reports that their system remains stable, state officials are encouraging everyone who does have power to conserve as much power as possible by staying indoors and keeping thermostats below 68 degrees.
Help offered
The state is stepping in to help local agencies handle calls from people concerned about loved ones who they can’t reach during this freeze. The TBI’s hotline — 1-800-TBI-FIND — which is normally dedicated to taking tips on criminal investigations, is shifting focus. This week, it is dedicated to handling requests for welfare checks. However, it is for all communities except Nashville.
In Davidson County, welfare check requests should still be made through Hub Nashville, available at Hub.Nashville.gov, or by calling 311.
The Tennessee Emergency Management Agency has tapped a nonprofit called Crisis Cleanup with the task of helping people clear out storm debris, including cutting and removing fallen trees. The number to call to ask for their help is 1-844-965-1386. (The group may not be able to fill every request for assistance.)
Warming shelters are being mapped by the state online: here.
In Nashville, more than 400 people stayed in emergency warming shelters overnight Monday into Tuesday, and similar numbers on Tuesday night. Transportation provided by Metro appears to be helping people reach those locations.
Ellie Kane, age 71 stayed at the warming center in Madison with her husband.
“It had gotten to the point it was so cold, I thought I might die,” she told This Is Nashville. “I was crying. I was scared. There’s a difference between being cold and bone cold and confused and scared … I thought, you know, I better find a way out of here.”
Impact updates
Meanwhile, more than 3,000 downed trees have been cleared since this storm began. On Tuesday, Gov. Bill Lee signed an executive order temporarily lifting some restrictions on TDOT crews, allowing them to help clear debris and make repairs on local roads. Some crews from East Tennessee have been reassigned to the Midstate to help respond to the icy conditions. The agency is still urging people to avoid driving if possible, as a cycle of moderate thawing followed by refreezing continues to make for treacherous conditions.
Since Saturday morning, the Tennessee Highway Patrol has responded to more than a thousand problems encountered by drivers, including more than 80 crashes in which people were injured, two of which were fatal. There have also been hundreds of crashes that damaged property, roadway obstructions and motorists who needed assistance.
Some services have been disrupted across Tennessee as well — mail and shipments have been delayed, and the state transportation department has not given a timeline for when roads will be clear and when mail can return to normal.
In Nashville, curbside trash and recycling has also been on hold for days. But some city services are moving toward business as usual. WeGo bus services will return to their normal schedule Wednesday. However, many routes are running with detours which can be found here.
Reported Monday:
State officials reported storm fatalities in Crockett, Dyer and Obion counties in West Tennessee, and in Haywood County in East Tennessee.
At the peak Sunday, more than 300,000 people were still without power after sunset. As of 8 a.m. Monday, there were 250,000 outages in Tennessee and about 150,000 in Davidson County.
Outages set a record for NES in Davidson County.
Brent Baker with NES said the utility is scrambling to respond, but that it was a complicated situation with so many lines down and the number of outages climbing.
“We are letting people know this is going to be a prolonged event. Likely multiple days,” he said Sunday afternoon.
NES reported more than 70 broken poles.
Drinking water facilities are also impacted — but still providing water — in nine counties.
In addition to the power grid and roads, this winter storm is impacting communications infrastructure.
The Tennessee Emergency Management Agency says some areas of the state have reduced cellular service due to power loss and ice damage. When regular calls are not possible, cell phones can still be used to call 911. But officials emphasize that number is only for life-threatening emergencies.
Warming centers
In a rare move, Metro is opening fire stations and most police precincts — not Central or East — as warming centers. But if you need to leave your home to get warm, officials are urging caution. Warmth is available around the clock, but most of the centers do not have overnight accommodations.
The Nashville Fairgrounds is one exception, says Metro Police Chief John Drake.
“The fairgrounds would probably be the first location that you can go because we’ve got cots set up and we’ve got Red Cross members there,” he said during a Sunday briefing. “We’ll have the ability to feed.”
Two Metro Parks Community Centers — Southeast in Antioch and Madison — will also have cots.
Statewide, there are more than 100 warming centers open, with varying local hours and availability.
‘Impossible’ and dangerous travel
A federal disaster has been declared for all 95 counties. Gov. Bill Lee said Sunday that the declaration will support winter storm operations and recovery.
Nashville International Airport’s air traffic control tower reopened Monday morning, and the airfield is operational again. But the winter storm is affecting many flights.
Downed trees have blocked roads in many areas, and the National Weather Service describes travel as “dangerous to impossible.” Much of the pretreatment, like brine, that was applied to roads ahead of this winter storm has been washed away.
- In Nashville, WeGo suspended service at 7:45 a.m., citing the weather disrupting communication infrastructure that connects with buses. Limited hours were later restored for part of the day.
- The Tennessee Department of Transportation reported more than 800 incidents in roughly the first 24 hours of the storm.
- The Tennessee Highway Patrol reported 36 crashes with injuries, more than 100 vehicles damaged and more than 150 obstructed roads — many from fallen trees. A few dozen additional vehicles have been abandoned.
Nashville Department of Transportation Director Phillip Jones warned that Monday’s road conditions will likely be even worse. Ice melting and then re-freezing creates the dreaded “black ice.”
“It’s a little more treacherous than what we had earlier, just because you can’t see it,” he said. “It looks like the road may be clear, but it’ll be a solid sheet of ice.”
Foreboding forecast
Meteorologists increased the expected ice accumulations for the state, and as of Sunday morning another half-inch of ice was still expected across a long swath of Middle Tennessee — including in Nashville.
The forecast for the week is foreboding. The weather service continues to warn of prolonged impacts, with temperatures likely to remain below freezing into next weekend, with few brief exceptions. For people without power, the temperatures will be dangerously cold.
The depth of the freeze will be at its worst overnight Monday into Tuesday, with the temperature in the single digits.
NWS meteorologist Faith Borden says a big concern is “flash freezing.”
“Any moisture will immediately freeze on the surface,” she said.
Another concern: Wind. Gusts could reach 25 mph on Monday. That usually wouldn’t be an issue — it’s really just a strong breeze. But it means even more pressure on trees and power lines.
Statewide impacts
East Tennessee is under a cold weather advisory until Tuesday. Ongoing heavy rain is forecasted to freeze over as temperatures drop to as low as single digits Monday. That means roads that were already pretreated may see some ice patches.
“We are dependent on those road crews to make sure they’re getting out there and seeing what roads are drying up on their own and what needs to be treated again as we have this extended freeze for the start of the new week,” said Heather Haley, a meteorologist with WUOT in Knoxville.
Warming centers in Knoxville are also preparing for an uptick in people seeking shelter as temperatures drop. Four centers across the city are scheduled to open tonight, including the nonprofit seasonal shelter ReLAUNCH in downtown.
ReLAUNCH was one of the few shelters that were open at the start of the storm Saturday due to anticipated road conditions. The nonprofit reached its capacity quickly, prompting officials to more than double that number to 130 people. Executive Director Linda Conaway said she’s prepared to serve at least an additional 200 people during the extended freeze.
“We haven’t had this long stretch of cold yet this season,” she said. “Everybody’s going to need the opportunity to reset and reinforce … because a lot of folks just won’t be prepared for this length of cold.”
So far, several hundreds of people have sought shelter in downtown Knoxville during the ice storm.
The impacts of Winter Storm Fern on Middle and West Tennessee is a continually evolving story. This post was last updated at 3:15 p.m. EST Sunday, 02/01/2026.
