GALLATIN, Tenn. (WTVF) — Thousands of homeowners across Sumner County remain without power following the recent storm, with Nashville Electric Service crews actively working throughout the area to restore electricity.
Hendersonville Mayor Jamie Clary said the city is open to help from the state if needed and warned that trees are still falling in the area. He explained that many of the remaining outages affect small pockets of residents.
"I don't think we're necessarily low on the list for NES. I think what we're dealing with is the fact that we have several cul-de-sacs and several small roads where the tree that's down, or the power line that's out, or the telephone pole that's gone, only serves a couple people," Clary said.
The mayor said they don't have a timeline from NES for full power restoration but confirmed crews are working in the city.
Some services have resumed in Hendersonville. Trash collection restarted and crews are actively collecting storm debris, though residents need to get materials to the curb for pickup.
Mayor Brown in Gallatin reports few outages after the storm compared to other areas of the county.
Ice and power outages stretched across Sumner County, where one church in Gallatin quietly became a refuge not just from the cold but from isolation.
The Free Methodist Church opened its doors during the storm, and Dale, who has been homeless for more than a year, found both shelter and purpose when he arrived.
"This community right here they've been really helping me they've been really stepping in," Dale said. "If we were still on the street we probably wouldn't be alive right now."
The church's volunteers and guests worked together, grabbing chainsaws to clear fallen trees so vulnerable people could get out of their homes.
"If you help any person in the world it always comes back tenfold. If you help somebody when you're down in luck somebody else gonna help you," Dale said.
The decision to open the shelter came quickly. Church leaders said they didn't know what the need would look like but felt called to help.
"It was Wednesday when the lord put it on my heart to open these doors and the pastor game me the go ahead," Sarah said.
In just days, the shelter took in people displaced by the storm, those who were cold in their homes without power, and even patients from the hospital.
"I picked up seven patients from the hospital two of those were on oxygen," Sarah said.
What started as a community-led emergency response led to something more permanent.
"I don't look at it like a refuge I look at it like a home," Dale said.
The Free Methodist Church says its doors will stay open as the community continues to take care of its own.
Have you been affected by power outages in your area? We want to hear about how your community is coming together during this challenging time. Share your story and let us know what local organizations are making a difference where you live by emailing kim.rafferty@NewsChannel5.com
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