NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Residents in North Nashville are growing increasingly frustrated as they enter their second week without power following a devastating ice storm, with some homeowners calling local news outlets to express their anger at being repeatedly placed at the bottom of restoration priority lists.
In the rural Whites Creek area of North Nashville, where residents typically embrace a slower pace of life, that preference doesn't extend to power restoration efforts. Lonnie Layhew, who has been without electricity for 10 days, said his zip code isn't expected to have power restored for another three to five days.
"I think I had my first breakdown a couple of days ago," Layhew said.
The extended outage has taken a significant financial toll on families. Layhew and his wife have spent approximately $3,600 on hotel rooms near downtown Nashville, exhausting nearly all of their travel savings.
"I spent about $3600 down near Vanderbilt near downtown," Layhew said. "She's at the hotel. She's worried about it. She's been there for me, thick and thin."
Despite the hardship, Layhew draws strength from his decades-long marriage.
"She's happy — as long as she's happy, I'm happy; that's the main thing for me," Layhew said.
The challenging conditions are making restoration efforts difficult for utility crews. Ice remains so thick in some areas that bucket trucks cannot reach necessary locations, forcing workers to climb to make repairs. Generators are powering some homes while crews work to clear fallen trees and branches from driveways and power lines.
Layhew described the widespread damage, saying, "It's a mess, all kinds of a mess. I really don't know what to do about it. We need all kinds of help we can get."
Utility workers have been making progress despite the dangerous conditions. "Since they've been there, they've been working because that's a mess up there, that's all been a mess," Layhew observed.
For Layhew, the restoration of power means more than just comfort – it represents the ability to bring his family back home together.
According to the latest estimates from Nashville Electric Service, 89% of customers in Layhew's zip code have had power restored.
This story was reported on-air by Amanda Roberts and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
