Most Metro Nashville Davidson County offices will resume normal operations on Friday following days of extreme Winter Weather and remote operations for employees.
National Weather Service says to expect:
- Cold Weather Advisory is in effect from 12:00 a.m. tonight through 10:00 a.m. Friday morning for wind chills as low as 0
- Elevated river levels continue to fall
- Temperatures warm back to near normal this weekend
- Rain chances enter the forecast again on Wednesday
It is important you take precautions during this weather event both at home and when traveling along roadways.
Extremely frigid temperatures and snow throughout the region have led to an increase in electricity demand. TVA is requesting customers be mindful of their power consumption between 6 and 10 a.m. today and tomorrow. Voluntary energy curtailment will help lower energy demand and prevent grid strain.
Consider these tips from NES to conserve energy, save money and stay warm:
- Conserve Energy by using your microwave, air fryer or toaster oven to prepare meals instead of large-capacity ovens.
- Because heat rises, switch your ceiling fan’s directional setting to clockwise to push heat downwards.
- Reduce your power bill by setting your thermostat below 70-degrees. Remember the lower you go, the lower your bill will be.
- Flip the switch and turn off any unnecessary lighting.
Department of Emergency Communications (DEC)
Nashville DEC Call Summary (6:00 p.m. 02/19/2025 – 6:00 a.m. 02/20/2025)
The Department of Emergency Communications (DEC) processed approximately 357 emergent and 122 non-emergency calls. All calls were answered well above national call answer time standards.
Notable incidents processed included:
- 12 non-injury accidents
- 5 injury accidents
- 28 safety hazards
- 2 salt requests
- 1 potentially weather-related fall
- 1 call for exposure
Nashville Department of Transportation (NDOT)
NDOT crews began pre-treating roadways on Monday morning and worked around the clock to keep roads clear. Crews worked 12-hour shifts 24/7 during the snow event. NDOT will continue to monitor road conditions during the extreme cold, as any moisture on roadways could freeze and form black ice.
Please continue to use caution when driving this evening into tomorrow morning.
secondary routes are all clear of snow and have been treated with salt. As temperatures plummet overnight, any moisture on streets will refreeze and cause black ice. We strongly encourage motorists to use caution when driving overnight and early tomorrow. Streets that appear dry may have black ice.
Crews will continue working regular routes and on known trouble spots, bridges and overpasses throughout the night and into the A.M. commute.
Additional Information
NDOT recently updated its snow removal primary and secondary routes to be more efficient and cover more of the county. Reports can still be made to hubNashville and will be used for data gathering and evaluation to inform response during future winter weather events.
To report a non-emergency issue affecting a Metro Nashville street, visit hub.nashville.gov.
Office of Homeless Services (OHS)
OHS will continue to operate the overflow shelter 24hrs Thursday and Friday.
OHS served 417 people at the Extreme Cold Overflow Shelter Wednesday, February 19th.
For a breakdown of numbers served each day, visit the Cold Weather Shelter Daily Report on Nashville.gov.
Metro Waste Services
Trash collection will resume tomorrow (Friday), and convenience centers will be open.
The tentative plans in the previous release are now confirmed plans.
- If your trash is normally picked up on Tuesday or Wednesday, your trash is tentatively scheduled to be picked up on Friday
- If your trash is normally picked up on Thursday or Friday, your trash is tentatively scheduled to be picked up on Saturday
They plan to do doubles on Friday and Saturday in hopes of getting everything serviced. We encourage residents to leave their trash containers out until they are serviced. Doubling up stretches resources, and we also anticipate delays at the transfer station due to the collections volume. We ask residents to be patient and know that we are working to get their containers serviced as quickly as possible.
Recycling collection services will not be provided for the remainder of the week so that we can focus on trash collection. Residents are asked to hold their recycling until their next scheduled recycling collection day.
Customers can download the Nashville Waste and Recycling App to sign up for service alerts.
Metro Public Health Department
Metro Public Health Department clinics and locations will be open on all regular schedules.
Metro Social Services
Metro Social Services is continuing to monitor the weather and road conditions. Executive Director Renee' Pratt has also been in constant communication with OEM's Chief William Swann and MSS staff. As a result of that communication, Director Pratt has issued the following directives for MSS' Friday Winter Weather Plan:
- The MSS office will reopen but on a 2-hour delay. Office hours will be 10am-4:30pm
- MSS main phone line will reopen and answered by staff in accordance with Friday snow hours mentioned above. Please call 615-862-6432 should there be a need or to request an appointment
- Home Ambassadors will resume their regular daily meal delivery service to senior, disabled, and homebound clients.
- Senior Snow Welfare Calls were made today (Thursday February 19) despite our office being closed. Regular daily senior welfare calls will resume tomorrow (Friday)
- Burial services scheduled for Wed, February 19, were cancelled due to inclement weather. Regular Wednesday morning burials will resume Wed, Feb. 26, 2025 at 9:00 a.m.
Precautions Taken Prior to the Snow System
Regular and Snow Meal Delivery
This service is specifically for our homebound clients in congregate settings and private residences. Clients include seniors and those who are disabled.
733 – meals delivered by our Home Ambassadors to our current clients as part of our regular weekly meal deliveries.
822 - Snow meal boxes were also delivered to current clients to carry them through the snow event, should the snow impact their access to food. The boxes can last up to one week. Food included does not require electricity to open or prepare.
Daily meal service was cancelled Wed and Thur due to snow impacted roads.
Senior Welfare Calls: Level 2
This service is available to all of our senior and disabled clients – homebound and not. This is a new service we launched Fall, 2024.
214 - Calls were conducted by our social worker associates, checking on our senior and disabled clients. In addition to their general wellbeing, as part of the Level 2 status, staff asked weather specific questions such as: "Do you need us to get your prescriptions refilled before the storm?" "Is your heating system working properly?" If they had a need, staff was dispatched to immediately address their need.
Urgent Home Visits
This service is available to all of our clients, including homebound, should they have an urgent need.
2 – the number of home visits we made the day before the snow storm to clients for various critical needs ahead of the.
Indigent Burials
This is a long-standing service MSS has provided Wednesday mornings for those in Davidson County who passed away without the financial means to pay for burial costs or those who have not had a loved one to claim their remains.
Burial services scheduled for Wed, February 19, are cancelled due to inclement weather. Regular Wednesday morning burials will resume Wed, February 26, 2025 at 9:00 a.m.
Communication with OEM
MSS’ executive director Renee Pratt has been in close communication with Chief Swann, head of Nashville’s Office of Emergency Management, monitoring the weather event. Additionally, Director Pratt has directed MSS department leadership to monitor the weather and follow our usual protocol of working closely with staff and other departments to ensure the safety of Nashville residents.
WeGo
WeGo Public Transit is returning to normal routes at 1:15 p.m. but still on a Saturday schedule for the remainder of Thursday, February 20. Normal schedules and routes will resume at start of morning service on Friday, February 21.
Customers should check mobile real-time information on the Transit App. The Transit App can be downloaded in your app store. Follow WeGo Public Transit on social media (@WeGoTransit) and visit WeGoTransit.com for continuous updates.
hubNashville
hubNashville will be available by phone at 311 or 615-862-5000 from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. and 24/7 at hub.nashville.gov or on the hubNashville app.
Metro Action Commission
MAC will resume regular operations on Friday.
Metro Water Services (MWS)
It is still important for residents to protect their internal plumbing during the cold temps.
We anticipate next week becoming busy on the water side as we will likely experience an increase in main breaks when the ground thaws and shifts.
Customers can download the Nashville Waste and Recycling App to sign up for service alerts.
MWS encourages homeowners to protect their pipes. Water expands when it freezes, and frozen pipes are at risk of breaking. If properties experience a frozen or broken pipe, they should contact a plumber as MWS is unable to respond to private plumbing issues.
Pipes that freeze most frequently are
- Pipes that are exposed to severe cold, like outdoor hose bibs, swimming pool supply lines, water sprinkler lines, and backflow preventers.
- Water supply pipes in unheated interior areas like basements and crawl spaces, attics, garages, or kitchen cabinets.
- Pipes that run against exterior walls that have little or no insulation.
How to prevent frozen pipes
- Keep garage doors closed if there are water supply lines in the garage.
- Close vents to crawl spaces to protect pipes and cover outdoor spigots.
- Open kitchen and bathroom cabinet doors to allow warmer air to circulate around the plumbing. Be sure to move any harmful cleaners and household chemicals up out of the reach of children.
- When the weather is very cold outside, let water drip from the faucet served by exposed pipes. Running water through the pipe - even at a trickle - helps prevent pipes from freezing.
- Keep the thermostat set to the same temperature both during the day and at night.
- If you will be going away during cold weather, leave the heat on in your home, set to a temperature no lower than 55° F.
- Insulate backflow preventers and provide a heater, if necessary.
How to safely thaw a frozen pipe
- If you turn on a faucet and only a trickle comes out, suspect a frozen pipe. Likely places for frozen pipes include against exterior walls or where your water service enters your home through the foundation.
- Keep the faucet open. As you treat the frozen pipe and the frozen area begins to melt, water will begin to flow through the frozen area. Running water through the pipe will help melt ice in the pipe.
- Apply heat to the section of pipe using an electric heating pad wrapped around the pipe, an electric hair dryer, a portable space heater (kept away from flammable materials), or by wrapping pipes with towels soaked in hot water. Do not use a blowtorch, kerosene or propane heater, charcoal stove, or other open flame device.
- Apply heat until full water pressure is restored. If you are unable to locate the frozen area, if the frozen area is not accessible, or if you cannot thaw the pipe, call a licensed plumber.
- Check all other faucets in your home to find out if you have additional frozen pipes. If one pipe freezes, others may freeze, too.
Locate you water shut off valve
- The ability to quickly close this valve may prevent further damage to your home in the event one of your interior pipes burst.
- The shut-off valve may be in the basement, under the kitchen sink, in a utility closet, near the hot water heater, or even under your home in a crawl space.
- If you think you have found it, be sure to test it.
- If you cannot locate your inside shut-off valve or do not have one installed, we recommend that you contact your plumber.
Additionally, when temperatures rise, an increase in water main breaks caused by ground shift is anticipated. Potential water main breaks should be reported to MWS as soon as possible to 615-862-4600. If water is seen bubbling up in a roadway or flowing in an unusual place, or residents experience a water outage or unexplained low pressure, it may be the result of a broken water main. Current break investigations or active break repairs can be viewed on the MWS Outage map at Metro Water Services Outage Map.
Preparing for Winter Weather
- Prepare your home to keep out the cold with insulation, caulking and weather stripping. Learn how to keep pipes from freezing.
- Install and test smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors with battery backups.
- Gather supplies in case you need to stay home for several days without power. Keep in mind each person's specific needs, including medication.
- Remember the needs of your pets.
- Have extra batteries for radios and flashlights.
- If you are unable to afford your heating costs, weatherization or energy-related home repairs, contact the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) for help.
Heating Safety
- Keep anything that can burn at least three feet away from heating equipment, like the furnace, fireplace, wood stove, or portable space heater.
- Have a three-foot "kid-free zone" around open fires and space heaters.
- Never use your oven to heat your home.
- Have a qualified professional install stationary space heating equipment, water heaters or central heating equipment according to the local codes and manufacturer’s instructions.
- Have heating equipment and chimneys cleaned and inspected every year by a qualified professional.
- Remember to turn portable heaters off when leaving the room or going to bed.
- Always use the right kind of fuel, specified by the manufacturer, for fuel burning space heaters.
- Make sure the fireplace has a sturdy screen to stop sparks from flying into the room.
- Ashes should be cool before putting them in a metal container. Keep the container a safe distance away from your home.
- Test smoke alarms at least once a month.
Portable Generator Safety
- Prevent carbon monoxide poisoning from the toxic engine exhaust by operating your generator outside for proper ventilation.
- Never refuel your generator when it is running. Let it cool down first.
- Do not store fuel in a garage, basement or inside your home. Vapors can be released that can cause illness and are a potential fire hazard.
- Install a carbon monoxide detector inside your home to warn you in case of a gas leak.
- Never hook up a generator directly to your home's electrical service or wiring. This can cause back feeding and poses a serious risk to NES line workers.
- Avoid carbon monoxide poisoning. Only use generators and grills outdoors and away from windows. Never heat your home with a gas stovetop or oven.
Driving Safety
- You should be careful when traveling on roadways. Freezing rain, sleet, black ice, and fog are all hazards to be aware of when driving.
- You can check current road conditions online on the TDOT Smartway Map.
- If weather reports indicate icy conditions, consider staying off the roads until they are clear.
- Black ice is highly transparent, so it is hard to see while driving.
- Tips that may help if you get caught in areas of black ice:
- Keep your steering wheel straight. If you turn the wheel, you have a better chance of sliding and losing control of your vehicle.
- Do not brake. Braking causes the vehicle to slide, especially if you brake too hard.
- Take your foot off the accelerator to reduce speed. It is best to let the car stop on its own if you have enough room in front of you.
Protect your Pets: - Bring your furry friends inside when temperatures take a dip! More pet prep tips: www.ready.gov/pets
- Wipe dog's paws after each trip outside. Ice-melting chemicals or rock salt can cause irritation, sickness or be fatal.
- Your pet may think antifreeze is sweet, but it can be deadly.
Prepare now for lost power
- #WinterStorms can cause power outages prepare now: www.ready.gov/power-outages
- Make a plan to check on neighbors if extreme cold or winter weather knocks out your power.
- Power Outage tip: Dim the brightness in your cell phone settings to save battery life.
Helpful Links
NES Power Outage Center
Heating Safety
Winter Driving Safety
NES Power Outage Tips
TDOT Smartway Map
Winter Weather and Pets
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