Memphis officials outline multi‑agency winter response as council weighs service suspensions

Memphis City Council heard a series of briefings Jan. 27 from emergency management, utilities, public works, police, fire and other city divisions as the city continues to respond to an Arctic front that prompted a mayoral state of emergency.

Angie Sullivan, deputy chief of EMS speaking for the city Office of Emergency Management, said the city had been below freezing "for a total of 87 hours" as of 7 a.m., with "total accumulation of snow and sleet between 3 and 5 inches." She told the council that because the governor and the president had approved emergency declarations, FEMA Public Assistance funds may be available and urged "everyone to document well and take pictures" of storm‑related costs. "There is a threshold to meet, and this is best achieved by everyone documenting thoroughly," Sullivan said.

Doug McGowan, president of Memphis Light, Gas and Water, told council members TVA was meeting current generation demand and MLGW had released pre‑positioned contract crews to assist nearby jurisdictions. "The supply and demand are in good balance," McGowan said, while adding that conservation requests could come if temperatures or equipment failures increase demand.

Public Works Director Scott Morgan described a route‑based clearing strategy. He said crews applied roughly "about 1,200 tons of salt" on designated routes, have plows on primary routes and will begin treating secondary routes as conditions warm. Morgan cautioned that smaller neighborhood streets remain hazardous and added that salt efficacy declines at colder temperatures: "It's really time and sun is what we need to wait for." He said the city is coordinating with TDOT, which was focusing on interstates while the city augments state routes.

Police Chief Davis described MPD’s winter posture: essential staff were deployed, daily briefings held, and more than 528 National Guard‑assisted transports were arranged to move medical personnel to hospitals. "As of today, we have not responded to any weather‑related fatalities," Chief Davis said during his update. He later said MPD had transported or checked stranded motorists and worked with warming‑center operators to identify and move vulnerable people.

Fire Chief Colin Perez said Memphis Fire maintained operations through the event, handled high call volumes and activated an EMS surge protocol to preserve ambulances for critical care. "Patients who are stable shall not be transported to the closest hospital by choice" under the surge protocol, Perez said, describing triage steps to maintain ambulance availability.

Parks and partners are operating warming centers in all seven council districts, the Parks representative reported. The department said it had served 209 residents so far — 123 overnight and 86 daily guests — and provided roughly 395 meals. Greenlaw Community Center was listed as an overflow hospitality hub for people experiencing homelessness.

Solid Waste Director Philip Davis said curbside collection was suspended Monday and Tuesday and will resume only when crews can safely traverse neighborhood streets; the department is providing daily restoration updates through the city communications team and the Curbsack app.

Transit officials told the council MATA was running a modified snow‑route schedule with routes 11, 39, 42, 50 and 52 operating from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., prioritizing medical and dialysis trips and paratransit with an emphasis on essential travel.

Council members pressed departments on messaging and resident guidance. McGowan urged customers to follow MLGW winter‑prep advice online; Morgan recommended caution for motorists and explained why many side streets cannot be plowed until temperatures and sunlight produce slush.

The meeting also featured a disputed account of fatalities. Chief Davis earlier said the city had not recorded weather‑related fatalities "as of today." Later, Councilwoman Logan said her district "did have a death the very first night of the cold weather" and described responding to a crime scene and being told the person "passed away due to cold weather." The council requested follow‑up data on unhoused transports and shelter counts.

Officials said agencies will continue coordinating, with OEM compiling after‑action reports and departments providing daily public updates and guidance on where to find resources. The city urged residents to document storm costs carefully for FEMA Public Assistance claims and to limit travel until road conditions improve.