NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — The Winter Storm Response Commission appointed by Nashville Mayor Freddie O'Connell has released its interim report on the city's response to the January ice storm.
It found problems not just with Nashville Electric Service, but within Metro Government itself.
The 20-page report comes six months after O'Connell appointed former Gov. Phil Bredesen and former House Speaker Beth Harwell to lead a review the city's response to the storm, which left more than 230,000 customers without power for as long as two weeks.
Metro's Office of Emergency Management had "clear weaknesses in its preparedness planning," according to the report.
Vice Mayor Angie Henderson, who served on the 9-member commission, said the office relies more on institutional knowledge than on written plans.
"That is a little bit more kind of the itty-bitty-city era. You know, call this person, call that person. He'll make the decision," Henderson said.
The report also found that the mass care shelters Metro opened during the storm were "confused at first."
Henderson said she wished the shelters had opened sooner and that communication about who they were open to had been clearer.
"Yes. I wish the communication had been more clear about for whom there were open for," Henderson said.
The commission recommends hiring a consultant to review how to modernize Metro's Office of Emergency Management.
The interim report also confirmed what NewsChannel 5 Investigates reported months earlier, that NES "delayed requesting and acquiring outside help," with the largest wave of outside utility crews arriving "8 days after the storm."
Brandon and Emily Boyce co-own Linewerx Inc., which has a fleet of utility vehicles that travel the country restoring power after storms.
Emails obtained by NewsChannel 5 Investigates show Linewerx had crews near Nashville after the storm and offered to help NES, but never heard back.
"Their emergency preparedness seemed like they didn't have a plan of action," Brandon Boyce said earlier this year.
"Speaking to them on the phone, they didn't have a good plan to bring anyone outside their mutual aid in," Emily Boyce added.
Henderson did not hold back when asked how NES performed overall.
"Um. I would characterize it as pretty poor," Henderson said.
However, Henderson stopped short of calling for NES leadership to be fired.
"I don't think it's wise for elected officials to kind of 'call for heads' right when something goes wrong, but that went really poorly," Henderson said.
NES said it is reviewing the interim report and will add what it can to the work it is already doing to improve its emergency preparedness.
Last month, NES announced that Vice President Brent Baker was removed from his position and is currently consulting with NES.
However, the CEO, Teresa Broyles-Aplin, remains in charge.
