Nearly all Nashvillians had regained power as of Friday — 13 days after massive outages began — and both Metro and federal leaders are escalating the next stages of the recovery. (This is the latest as of 4:25 p.m. Saturday.)
By the numbers (4:25 p.m. Saturday)
- power has been restored in Nashville and across the state
- 23 water utilities in the state report issues related to weather; 7 have boil water advisories
- a dozen active and possible water main breaks in Nashville
- 29 winter storm-related deaths confirmed statewide by Tennessee Department of Health
- four confirmed deaths in Nashville and a fifth believed linked to the cold weather
Resources:
- Nashville/Davidson County or call 211
- TEMA – To request assistance, call 844-965-1386 for free storm-related property cleanup, including fallen trees.
- Damage support: If you cannot afford repairs or have access to insurance, savings or contractor support, you can request for assistance here.
- Rent and mortgage support: Up to $2,000 per household. Qualification information and application here.
Restore Nashville campaign
As a part of the “Restore Nashville” campaign announced Friday, Mayor Freddie O’Connell is asking multiple city departments to make changes to soften the impact of the storm recovery.
- He asked Metro Water Services to introduce legislation to suspend all penalties on water bills. If approved by the Metro Council, it would suspend turn-offs and late fees for February. Residents who experienced a leak or burst pipe that resulted in a higher bill can call Metro Water Services for an adjustment.
- For property damaged in the storm, Metro Codes plans to waive permit fees.
- Additionally, there are plans to reassess the value of houses that were impacted by the storm, which could save homeowners on property taxes.
- The Nashville Electric Service will pause all disconnections and late fees through June, and customers will have expanded access to flexible payment plans through December. NES has pledged $1 million toward the Winter Storm Recovery Fund, which will support residents grappling with the impacts of the storm.
- Metro Finance will also be re-allocating $750,000 from the American Rescue Plan for use in the Emergency Winter Housing Assistance program. That program also received a donation from the Tennessee Titans this week. It will be administered through the Metro Action Commission.
“In the first hour alone, we received more than 130 applications. And on its second day, we are already at 800 applications,” said Metro Action Executive Director Jamekia Bies. “This shows just how great the need is.”
The application for the housing fund will be open only through Thursday.
Applicants must reside in Davidson County, have been impacted by the storm, and meet income eligibility requirements.
The city will also open two disaster assistance centers at the Hadley and Smith Springs regional centers. Staff there will help connect residents in need with food, health and other resources.
More federal help
A major federal disaster was declared Friday for 15 counties in Tennessee. This provides funds for local governments and some nonprofits, including for cleanup and infrastructure repairs.
Counties approved are: Cheatham, Chester, Clay, Davidson, Hardin, Henderson, Hickman, Lewis, McNairy, Perry, Sumner, Trousdale, Wayne and Williamson counties.
An additional eight counties were already eligible for a lower level of assistance.
Cash assistance for individuals, however, has not been federally approved. State officials say that while that type of aid is still being sought, residents can prepare by documenting damage, saving storm-related receipts and filing insurance claims.
Learn more at https://www.disasterassistance.gov/.
Update: This post was updated at 5 p.m. Tuesday to include additional details about the Restore Nashville campaign.
On Air - 90.3 WPLN-FM