Winter Weather Leads To Dangerous Power Outages In Tennessee

Severe winter weather has left thousands of Tennessee residents without power — and without heat — in below-freezing temperatures.

More than 3,000 people are without power around the state, including several hundred in Davidson, Macon and Sumner counties. As of noon Tuesday, more than 600 Nashvillians are without power, too.

The Tennessee Emergency Management Agency recommends that residents using generators keep them outside of the home to prevent carbon monoxide poisoning, and to avoid plugging them in to a wall outlet to prevent a power surge or fire.

Forecasters are expecting temperatures to remain near or below freezing for the rest of the week. The weather has caused a delay in vaccination efforts and in getting kids back to school. Many schools across Middle Tennessee cancelled classes, and many state and local government buildings are closed to encourage people to stay home and not brave the frozen streets.

The National Weather Service says another round of wintry weather will hit Middle Tennessee on Wednesday night. The high temperature is not expected to break 40 degrees until Sunday.