Nashville Nears Full Power Restoration After Ice Storm
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NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Nashville Electric Service restored nearly all power this week after Winter Storm Fern knocked out electricity for hundreds of thousands; crews repaired broken poles, cleared vegetation, and demobilized mutual-aid lineworkers. Officials reported outages peaked at about 230,000 across 294 square miles and said 99.9% of customers regained service as crews fixed hundreds of broken poles. Metro police reported at least five storm-related deaths. Sumner County officials sought NES board representation and considered leaving the utility. NES said it will review tree trimming and study burying lines to improve resilience. Based on 6 articles reviewed and supporting research.
Prepared by Olivia Bennett and reviewed by editorial team.
Timeline of Events
- Jan. 24: Winter Storm Fern brings heavy ice, toppling trees and downing lines across Nashville.
- Outages peak at roughly 230,000 customers across 294 square miles of NES territory.
- NES and mutual-aid crews (about 1,900–2,000 linemen) work in rotating shifts to restore service.
- Over two weeks crews report repairing hundreds of poles (787 broken; 748 fixed reported) and clearing vegetation.
- Mid-recovery: NES reports near-complete restoration, pledges independent review, and considers tree-trimming policy changes and burying lines.
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Lineworkers, mutual-aid crews, vegetation-management contractors, and NES suppliers saw significant work, compensation, and demand for services during the restoration and demobilization phases.
Nashville residents — especially elderly and medically vulnerable households — experienced prolonged power loss, exposure to cold, and property and infrastructure damage requiring lengthy repairs.
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