NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Nashville Electric Service crews are working around the clock to restore power to more than 112,000 homes still without electricity after freezing rain and ice damaged power lines and poles across Middle Tennessee.
Tennessee Governor Bill Lee signed an executive order today giving Tennessee Department of Transportation crews the authority to clear non-state roads, which will help local line workers restore power more quickly.
"I heard a tree branch crash. I saw sparks fly from the power line and then our power went out," said Bellevue resident Louis Eron.
Eron's story echoes across Middle Tennessee, where freezing rain and ice have claimed power lines and poles, leaving tens of thousands without light or heat. More than 280 poles are broken, according to NES reports.
"We were lucky enough to get our hands on a generator, so we're warm. We're being patient. We're luckier than some other people," Eron said.
At his house, his power line now sits in the snow, disconnected from the transformer. He bundled up, quietly watching linemen battle the cold as they worked through his neighborhood.
NES crews are logging 14 to 16-hour shifts. More than 118,000 customers have had power restored, but for many, the wait continues. Thousands from West and North Nashville, Madison, Hendersonville, East Nashville, Brentwood, and Bellevue remain in the dark.
"The way we prioritize the work that we are doing is to make sure we get the largest number of customers taken care of at a time. We are focusing on those circuits with a thousand or two thousand or more customers to be restored," said Brent Baker, NES Vice President and Chief Customer and Innovation Officer.
To meet the challenge, NES has called in lineworkers from Florida, Maryland, Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio, Mississippi, and Tennessee — more than 700 strong.
"We're up to 740 this morning, and we'll be at 925 this evening. Those are linemen that are working on our system, and another 207 vegetation crews are making a way for those linemen to get where they need to go," Baker said.
"We happened to catch one of the pickup trucks driving by and waved him down. They were very honest — said we would have never found this house if you didn't wave us down," Eron said.
"I'm hoping to talk to somebody over there in a little while. That's my hope," Eron said.
With each hour, the ice weighs down wires and trees, neighbors wait — grateful for small comforts, steady in their faith that warmth and light will return soon.
Utility officials say restoration times can vary depending on damage and location, and they're urging people to stay away from downed or ice-covered power lines.
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