Tennessee’s cold blast has passed, but the return to normalcy will be a slow process.
Schools were closed Monday across much of the region and will be again on Tuesday — with exceptions in Davidson, Rutherford and Williamson counties, which will be on delayed starts.
Districts have been eating into their allotted days off for the year. Nashville will have one inclement weather day remaining. If that is exhausted, students could be called into makeup days in February, March or May.
As of Monday evening, state officials are now attributing 34 deaths to the weather.
Those include vehicle crashes, slip-and-falls and extreme cold exposures. At Fall Creek Falls State Park, the body of a hiker was recovered at the bottom of a bluff.
The Tennessee Valley Authority, meanwhile, says it met peak power needs without issues, including the second-highest demand on record on Sunday morning.
Multiple water utilities have been under duress. Warnings to boil water were issued in 19 counties, including a city-wide advisory for all of Memphis.
In Nashville in the past week, emergency responders have reported:
- more than 240 vehicles needing assistance
- at least 33 water main breaks
- one roof collapse
The city also reported water main breaks at two Metro schools and at the city’s main Lentz Public Health Center.
As the region thaws, one ongoing concern will be a likely increase in water main breaks. This is common during thaws when the ground shifts.
Metro Water asks residents to report any water that is seen bubbling up in roadways or flowing in unusual places, as well as any residences that experience low water pressure.
Reported earlier
As Nashville thaws, city services are coming back online. On Monday:
- most — but not all — city parks reopened at 10 a.m.
- health department branches also opened at 10 a.m. (but not the water-damaged Lentz center)
- city libraries reopened at noon
- some WeGo buses, along with the Music City Star, returned to normal service
Metro intends for trash collection to resume Tuesday, with residents receiving service one day later than normal — including the typical Friday pickups shifting to Saturday.
Cold blast keeps cold patrols busy
Nashville’s cold weather overflow shelter closed at 10 a.m. Monday, ending a busy week at the facility and a final pair of bitterly cold nights.
On average, the city hosted well over 300 people, including a handful with pets.
As part of its weather response, Metro’s cold patrols check on encampments, hand out blankets and protective gear, and provide bus passes and free rides to the shelter.
Sheltering for those without housing is typically handled by a network of nonprofits. Metro adds bed space when the temperature dips to 32 degrees or colder. In the past, city policy required it to be even colder — and a WPLN News count found that the new threshold prompted the city shelter to open substantially more often last winter.
This is a developing story that was last updated at 5:20 p.m. Monday.
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