OEM, Metro Water and NDOT describe sheltering, food distribution and FEMA coordination after deadly ice storm

NASHVILLE — Metro agencies told a joint council committee that the city activated emergency shelters, mobilized transportation lines and coordinated with nonprofits after Winter Storm Fern left thousands without power and services.

A mayor's office representative said more than 50 warming sites were opened early in the event, along with overflow shelter capacity and a transportation line to bring residents to warming centers. The city launched nashvilleresponse.com and a Winter Storm Response Commission to review Metro and NES actions, and the mayor's office said early donors seeded the Winter Weather Recovery Fund.

Scott Potter, director of Metro Water Services, described operating challenges and accomplishments: more than 178 water main repairs, 38,522 customer calls handled and a record daily flow of 145.2 million gallons on Jan. 29. He called for hardening emergency power systems at pump stations and telemetry hardening so staff can see pump-station status under prolonged battery/antenna failures.

Chief Will Swan of the Office of Emergency Management said the EOC activated early, shelters and Fairgrounds operations were stood up, VOAD partners and nonprofits delivered more than 260,000 meals and 8,000 cases of bottled water, and the city has distributed generators and carbon monoxide detectors where it could safely do so. OEM reported 4,702 overnight shelter stays and a sustained EOC activation for more than two weeks.

NDOT deputy director Philip Jones described pretreatment efforts and street-clearing operations that helped crews reach damaged neighborhoods and facilitate restoration work.

On federal assistance, OEM said the city has received approval for FEMA public-assistance funding in the tens of millions (public assistance category) but individual assistance for homeowners was still under FEMA review at the time of the meeting. The administration established local disaster assistance centers to help residents and expected FEMA teams to canvass neighborhoods once individual assistance is approved.

What's next: Metro agencies will continue disaster recovery center operations, work with local nonprofits and VOAD to allocate donations, expand consumer-protection outreach and coordinate with FEMA when individual assistance is approved. The city will also stand up a Winter Storm Response Commission whose members and first meeting date will be announced.