Nashville winter storm outages drop below 30,000 as mayor presses NES on restoration and communication

Outage count declines while city and utility outline next steps

Power outages across the Nashville Electric Service (NES) territory fell below 30,000 over the weekend, continuing a steady decline after an ice storm that damaged trees, lines and utility poles across Middle Tennessee. At the height of the event, roughly 230,000 NES customers were without power at one time, marking the largest peak outage the utility has reported in its service area.

The storm struck Jan. 24–25, 2026, prompting Metro Nashville officials to issue repeated public safety warnings as ice accumulated and road conditions deteriorated. Metro’s emergency management updates during the storm also noted heavy call volumes to emergency lines and urged residents not to call 911 for outages, reserving the system for life-safety emergencies.

Mayor and Metro leaders meet with NES leadership

Mayor Freddie O’Connell and Metro leaders met with NES leadership on Jan. 31 as thousands of customers entered a second week without electricity in below-freezing conditions. Following that meeting, the mayor said restoration pace and crisis communications did not meet expectations and emphasized that residents needed clearer information about what to expect and when.

In response to public demand for more specificity, NES published estimated restoration targets and expanded the tools it uses to communicate outage status. The utility began posting estimated restoration ranges by ZIP code twice daily and launched a customer-facing “My Outage Tracker” intended to provide household-level status updates.

Restoration benchmarks and the scale of infrastructure damage

NES reported that outages peaked at 230,000 customers during the storm. Early damage assessments included widespread downed trees and a growing count of broken utility poles. Within days, the utility reported deploying a significantly expanded workforce—lineworkers and vegetation management teams—while continuing extended restoration shifts.

• Peak impact: about 230,000 customers out at one time in the NES service area.

• Progress reporting: estimated restoration information posted by ZIP code and updated regularly.

• Safety emphasis: guidance to treat downed lines as energized and to avoid calling 911 for outages unless a life-safety emergency exists.

Timeline projections as the city tracks recovery impacts

By Feb. 1, about 31,000 customers were still without power. NES projected continued reductions through the first week of February and stated an expectation that full restoration would be completed by Feb. 9, 2026, while noting estimates could change as field assessments evolve.

City leaders have linked the push for more detailed utility communications to broader emergency response needs, including consistent public messaging, decisions about warming resources, and planning for schools and other services affected by prolonged outages.

Residents have faced extended periods without heat and limited information about restoration timing, elevating the importance of frequent, specific updates during multi-day outages.

As restoration continues, officials have reiterated public safety guidance on generator use, carbon monoxide risks, and reporting downed lines—areas that typically see increased hazards during long-duration winter outages.