DICKSON COUNTY, Tenn. (WTVF) — Even as ice begins to melt across Middle Tennessee, many families remain stuck at home, especially in rural areas where secondary roads are still slick and dangerous.
In Dickson County, officials said the main roads have improved, but icy back roads continue to limit travel. More than 1,300 customers were still without power this week, according to Dickson Electric System, leaving some families without basic supplies and unable to get out safely.
Jennifer and Leo Hagewood have spent days navigating those icy roads, delivering supplies to families who have run out of essentials. Using their Jeep, the couple traveled across the county bringing food, baby supplies and cases of water to homes without power.
“When we’re out on a mission, we try not to play too much, and we’re careful,” Leo Hagewood said.
Jennifer Hagewood said many of the families they’re helping did what they could to prepare — but resources only stretch so far.
“A lot of people’s water was frozen — formula, groceries, diapers — things they tried to prepare for,” she said. “But a lot of people live paycheck to paycheck, so they can’t afford to stock up for an extra week.”
Jennifer Hagewood is also the director of operations at the Dickson County Help Center and Thrift Store, where she sees the need firsthand. She said the storm has pushed more families to seek help as missed workdays and power outages take a toll.
“We have a great team at the Help Center, and we couldn’t do this without everyone’s help,” she said.
She’s one of many volunteers stepping up. Christi Arnold spent the week packing food boxes tailored to each family’s situation, even accounting for families temporarily staying in hotels.
“Some people we even had to put in a hotel for a few nights, so we had to take into consideration they may only have a mini fridge,” Arnold said.
Jennifer Hagewood said dozens of families remain stuck at home because of icy secondary roads, and restoring power remains her top concern.
“I hope everyone gets their electric back on,” she said. “That’s the number one thing I worry about.”
The Hagewoods said the response has been a team effort between nonprofits and first responders working to keep people safe during the prolonged winter weather.
They said the Help Center has been lending a helping hand for decades — and they plan to keep it that way. The nonprofit expects more families will need help starting next week and continues to assist with rent, utilities, food and other essentials.
If you need help in Dickson County you can reach out to them on Facebook. You can support the nonprofit here.
This story was reported by Aaron Cantrell 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.
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