January 25th Winter Weather Update

Last updated 10:30 a.m., January 25

Metro Nashville Davidson County remains under a Winter Storm Warning.

Thousands of people are without power as trees and powerlines are damaged by ice forming. As of 10:00 am close to 200,000 NES customers are without power. NES has teams fully staffed and already in the field assessing damage and beginning repairs.

The Department of Emergency Communications (DEC) is reporting increased calls to the 911 center, and it is causing some delays in answering.

DEC is reminding everyone not to call 911 to report a power outage, but you should call 911 to report fires or downed powerlines.

To report a power outage, contact the Nashville Electric Service (NES) at 615-234-0000.

However, NES is reporting that their phone system is currently overloaded due to high call volumes. To quickly report a power outage, please follow the instructions on our outage map, by pressing the report button at the bottom right of the page. Customers can also report outages by texting OUT to 637797 (NESPWR) from the phone number linked to their account.

DEC wants everyone to consider calling 311 or reporting non-emergency incidents to hub.nashville.gov .

Nashville Department of Transportation and Multimodal Infrastructure (NDOT)

NDOT crews have been working overnight to treat primary and secondary routes across the city. As freezing rain continues throughout the day, crews are now focusing efforts on primary routes as well as assisting emergency response.

NDOT crews are also out clearing trees without powerlines from the right-of-way. Tree debris containing powerlines must have lines removed by NES before they can be cleared.

Crews continue working 12-hour shifts 24/7 in response to this event.

PLEASE stay off roads if you're able. Road conditions will continue to deteriorate throughout the day before temperatures drop tonight, causing a hard refreeze.

NDOT uses a comprehensive list of primary, secondary, and post-secondary snow removal routes to maximize efficiency and cover as much of the county as possible. Like last year, post-secondary routes will replace call-in requests, but reports can still be made to hubNashville and will be used for data gathering and evaluation to inform future winter weather response.

The Nashville Office of Emergency Management (OEM)

The Nashville Office of Emergency Management activated its Emergency Operations Center (EOC) in preparation for forecast Severe Winter Weather on Friday, January 23rd.

OEM will conduct Winter Patrols and Cold Patrols throughout the weekend and into the beginning of next week. During Winter Patrols OEM goes out to assess areas, assist stranded motorists, checking large power outage areas, checking facilities and/ or responding in emergency incidents.

Cold Patrols focus on outreach, wellness checks, and connecting individuals experiencing homelessness with available warming resources.

During these patrols, teams will check on areas known to be inhabited by the unhoused, offering transportation to shelters, providing winter kits with essential supplies to stay warm, and connecting individuals with additional resources.

Residents are encouraged to stay informed through local weather updates and to report to anyone in need of assistance during extreme cold conditions.

Metro Schools

MetroNashville Public Schools will be closed Monday, January 26 and Tuesday, January 27.

All before and after school care is cancelled unless the provider offers an inclement weather site. Families are encouraged to check with their provider for that information.

All after-school activities, including sports practices, games, performances and meetings are also cancelled.

District offices will also be closed on Monday and Tuesday.

More information on inclement weather plans can be found at mnps.org/weather .

WeGo

Due to severe weather conditions, WeGo Public Transit is placing all service on hold until further notice effective 7:45 a.m. Sunday, January 25. WeGo Access service is also suspended. Weather conditions have caused problems with communication infrastructure required to communicate with buses. Crews are working to fix the situation. The intent is to return to the previous major corridor and snow route service as soon as possible.

Regular service updates will continue to be posted at WeGoTransit.com . Riders are advised to check the WeGo website and social media pages before leaving to ensure they have the latest service updates. Customers should also check mobile real-time information on the Transit App, which can be downloaded in your app store. Follow WeGo Public Transit on social media (@WeGoTransit).

Nashville International Airport (BNA)

Important information for BNA® passengers

• Check the forecast - Monitor weather updates regularly for any changes.
• Check flight status - Confirm your flight and stay alert for any updates from your airline.
• Arrive early - Allow extra time for parking, check-in, and security screening.
• Pack smart - Keep essentials like medications in your carry-on bag.
• Sign up for BNA text alerts - Get the latest updates and helpful travel tips sent straight to your phone.

For more travel tips and updates, passengers are welcome to visit https://flynashville.com/winter and follow us on social media.

Nashville Office of Homeless Services (OHS)

OHS continues working with primary shelter providers to ensure anyone experiencing homelessness who needs shelter has a place to go.

• Overflow shelter continues 24-hour operations.
• People are encouraged to connect with a primary shelter first. As capacity needs change at the shelters, OHS is coordinating to get people to shelters with available capacity.
• If someone needs a ride to shelter, Mobility Solutions is available to provide support by calling 615-844-3399.
• OHS is coordinating closely with OEM to coordinate additional capacity should it be needed today or in the days ahead.