Update 1/31

[Cash, Thomas (Council Member)]

All- Last night NES briefed Council Members on storm recovery efforts. Here is a great summary from CM At Large (and former utility employee) Olivia Hill. (Also below)

Also note: If you went from full outage to brownout/low voltage, you need to re-report your outage to NES if you haven’t. I reported areas with brownouts to them, but only a few specific addresses reported to me. 

The newer “my outage tracker” is live here to check your status. Disclaimer: it is new and rushed by NES in a small amount of time, so kinks are definitely possible. Disclaimer 2: it will not give you a timeline or expected “power on” date. 

From NDOT on brush/vegetation:

“For residents with downed trees, limbs, other vegetation:

• Vegetation/Brush should be moved to the curb for future collection

• NDOT is scheduling special collections for vegetation and will announce dates in the coming days

• There are no size guidelines for vegetation brush piles, but piles should not block utility infrastructure, culverts, storm drains, or drainage ditches.”

From Council member at large Olivia Hill:

*****NES Update*****

What’s Happening & What to Expect

I just finished a detailed briefing with Nashville Electric Service to get an update on where things stand with outages, restoration progress, and how crews are working across the city. I want to share some helpful information so folks understand what’s happening behind the scenes.

🔌 My Outage Tracker

NES’s new My Outage Tracker is expected to go live tonight around 9 PM (or later) as final testing wraps up. Once live, you’ll be able to enter your address and see:

 • Whether your home currently has power

 • If a crew is actively working on the line that feeds your home

For safety reasons, the system will not show exact crew locations. Some linemen have unfortunately been harassed while working. If you see a crew in your area, please keep your distance and allow them to work—every interruption slows restoration for everyone.

🌳 Storm Damage & Crews in the Field

 • 551 broken utility poles across the system

 • 332 vegetation crews plus 132 TDOT & NDOT crews working to clear trees and debris

 • 1,100 linemen currently working, with 150 more arriving in the morning

🪵 Why Pole Replacement Takes Time

Replacing a single broken pole typically takes 8–10 hours. The process includes:

 • De-energizing the line

 • Removing the damaged pole

 • Locating underground utilities (One Call)

 • Drilling a new hole and setting a new pole

 • Transferring all lines to the new pole

If there are multiple broken poles (3–5) in the same area, crews can often work more efficiently because permits and underground utility checks can be done together.

📱 Power Restoration Texts

When power is restored to a feeder line, everyone on that feeder receives a restoration text—even if some customers farther downstream may still be without power due to a broken switch or secondary issue. This can be confusing, but it doesn’t mean your issue is being ignored.

⚡ How NES Is Managing Restoration

 • NES is using its HECS system (High Voltage Energy Control System) to safely manage complex repairs. It isolates  an area with damage. Then a crew will be assigned to tgat area and will have full conttol to prevent energizing systrm thst crews are still working on.

 • An Outage Strike Team, coordinated through council liaisons, is helping prioritize and communicate issues to us as council members. 

• Restoration Priorities – What NES Is Working On

Right now, NES’s top priority is restoring all main feeder lines first. Those main lines serve the largest number of customers and must be fully energized before crews can move effectively into smaller neighborhood and individual lines. Once the main lines are restored, NES will transition to addressing individual outages, taking into account location, safety concerns, critical needs, and other circumstances. The exact prioritization process for individual customers is still being finalized and will likely be clarified in upcoming briefings over the next day or two. While there are currently about 58,000 customers without power, it’s important to note that we started this event with approximately 230,000 outages, and significant progress has already been made.

💛 A Note From Me

I know how incredibly frustrating this has been, and I truly want to thank everyone for your patience and understanding. Please know this isn’t abstract for me—my home is without power as well, along with the homes of several other council members. We are living this alongside you, and we are working every hour to make sure everyone is taken care of.

In the meantime, this is a really good moment to lean on one another. Check on your neighbors. Share coffee, warmth, conversation, and a little kindness. Look out for seniors, families, and anyone who may need extra help. Leave politics and religion at the door—right now, being good neighbors matters more than anything else.

Thank you for your grace, your patience, and for showing the very best of who we are as a community.

🔔 How You Can Help

If you see downed power lines, trees on power lines, broken poles, or storm damage that hasn’t been reported, please take a moment to submit it through hub.Nashville. Reports submitted there are routed directly to the correct team—vegetation crews for trees, linemen for power lines, or the appropriate Metro department for anything else. Using hub.Nashville allows the city to track each issue, avoid duplication, and make sure every report gets to the right people so it can be addressed as quickly and efficiently as possible.