NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Nashville Electric Service has restored power to roughly 95% of its customers, but some families who have electricity back are facing a new problem: tens of thousands of dollars in damaged appliances from what appears to be a power surge during restoration efforts.
On Draughon Avenue in Green Hills, work trucks now fill driveways — not to restore power, but to fix what broke when it came back on.
"Look up and down the street. Look at all the workers out here working," said Carl Heinemann, a resident whose home was affected.
All of these neighbors are dealing with damaged appliances. They believe when restoring power to their Green Hills neighborhood, NES crews sent the wrong voltage through their lines.
Heinemann was in his home when it happened.
"Loud explosions, in and outside the house. We jumped up, looked around, didn't see anything, freaked out a little bit. Five minutes later, it happened again," Heinemann said.
"I started walking around. All the GFIs were popped. Surge protectors were blown," he said.
Following the apparent surge in power, laundry machines, dishwashers, and microwaves stopped working throughout the neighborhood.
"The first thing I did was I went down, checked my washer and dryer, and said please don't be gone," said another affected resident.
Jill Lindner lost her HVAC system along with other appliances.
"The heat and air were like $11,000, and the dishwasher is going to be $1,100," Lindner said.
Fortunately, insurance will likely pick up most of the cost for many residents. Still, neighbors worry about those with fewer resources.
"I'm so worried about so many people I know here. This is going to be financially devastating for some families," one resident said.
The line crew that worked on the street was contracted from Bowling Green and Memphis. Heinemann said he understands it was probably human error, but hopes NES takes responsibility and helps anyone in the same situation.
"I'm just advocating for Nashville and my street," Heinemann said.
NewsChannel 5 contacted NES twice, asking what happened and if they would help neighbors with their expenses. So far, there has been no response from NES.
Have you experienced losses during the recent outages? Share your story. Your experience could help other families. Contact me at hannah.mcdonald@newschannel5.com.
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