One day after Nashvillians awoke to devastation caused by a tornado that tore through the city and surrounding counties, Mayor John Cooper and members of the Office of Emergency Management say the city is beginning the recovery process.
City officials announced at a briefing Wednesday morning that there are no reports of missing persons in Davidson County, and that emergency call volumes have returned to normal. Yesterday, emergency services fielded more than 400 calls and transported 187 people, one of whom had severe injuries.
But there are still many unknowns as the city continues to assess the tornado’s impact. The Office of Emergency Management is working to determine the number of homes damaged and how many residents have been displaced, and Cooper said he is working with state and federal agencies to secure support for the city’s recovery. The mayor hopes to announce funding updates shortly.
Nashville’s four emergency shelters reportedly housed 90 people, and the Metropolitan Development and Housing Agency reportedly placed 86 families in hotels.
About 33,000 Nashville Electric Service customers remain without power, down from the 50,000 without power yesterday. NES has contracted an additional 400 linemen from Virginia and Kentucky to meet city need, and NES President Decosta Jenkins said he expects that most of those who are able to receive power will have it by Monday.
Four schools sustained extensive damage, which Cooper says will cost $5 million to fix. All metro schools are closed Wednesday, March 4 due to power outages.
In the most impacted areas of Nashville, including East Nashville, Germantown and Hermitage, Metro police officers will be working 12-hour shifts for the foreseeable future. Chief Steve Anderson said that no looting or civil disorder occurred during the first night after the tornado.
Cooper praised Nashville’s strength and willingness to work together, citing the $670,000 donated to the Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee, and other support from Google and Amazon. He encouraged those looking to help to donate or volunteer with Hands On Nashville.
The Office of Emergency Management and Cooper will continue to provide updates with daily briefings.
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