Nashville officials order inquiries into city's ice storm response
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
Illustration: Allie Carl/Axios
Metro officials launched multiple inquiries on Monday into the shortfalls of the city's response to last week's ice storm.
Why it matters: Mayor Freddie O'Connell and the Metro Council want to probe whether top agencies, particularly the Nashville Electric Service, were prepared to handle the natural disaster.
Driving the news: O'Connell tasked a new commission to examine the city's preparedness and response to the ice storm.
- The nine-member commission will have the power to hold hearings and compel witnesses to testify under oath.
- Two council committees also announced a special joint meeting for Feb. 10 to question top officials about the city's communication during natural disasters.
Zoom in: The will allow council members "to ask questions, better understand existing protocols, and explore potential improvements to how Metro communicates with residents before, during, and after major weather events and emergencies," according to a press release.
Zoom out: State Sen. Heidi Campbell and Rep. Jason Powell, Nashville Democrats, unveiled legislation that would require "stronger transparency, emergency communication, and long-term reliability planning from large electric utilities, including Nashville Electric Service."
State of play: NES added an additional 500 linemen to its restoration effort, according to information provided to O'Connell over the weekend. That brings the number of linemen in the field to about 1,500.
- As of Monday afternoon, more than 24,000 customers remained without power.
What's next: City officials said a new concern as the ice thaws and the ground shifts is water main breaks. Metro Water reported 12 confirmed breaks.
- The city is also pressing forward with brush collection in the wake of the storm.
- Residents should move their storm debris to the curb for pickup. The city is also coordinating with volunteer groups to assist in debris collection, O'Connell said.
O'Connell also encouraged residents to contribute to a winter storm recovery fund created in partnership with the United Way.