A Winter Storm Recovery By the Numbers: Details on Nashvillians’ Needs, Around-the-Clock Response, and Long-Term Recovery

In the 14 days of the local state of emergency, Metro Nashville, its departments, and partners supported restoration of travel, emergency response, and shelter for hundreds of thousands of Nashvillians, producing an around-the-clock response from numerous frontline workers.

NDOT crews brined, salted, and plowed more than 2,472 miles of roadway. The Department of Emergency Communication's 9-1-1 call center processed a 758% increase in calls in the first five days, and Metro Water Services fixed 172 water line breaks and set a new record for water demand on January 29 when Nashvillians used more than 145.2 million gallons of water.

Warming shelters opened January 25, the same day the ice hit, and provided more than 4,702 total overnight stays. Each shelter was staffed 24/7 with Red Cross, Metro Social Services, and healthcare professionals. Metro Office of Homeless Services operated two overflow shelters for people experiencing homelessness and, in partnership with Room in the Inn and the Nashville Rescue Mission, provided shelter to more than 1,330 people nightly, including more than 1,420 peopleserved overnight on January 26.

Now, Restore Nashville is supporting Nashvillians with three core pillars: restoring access, restoring your bottom line, and restoring neighborhoods.

Nashvillians worked around the clock, putting their lives on hold to serve their neighbors, and their work was part of the largest countywide response in the city's modern history," Mayor Freddie O'Connell said. "Our work is not yet finished, as we continue to pull together as a community to support our neighbors recovering from the storm. Our 2026 Winter Storm Response Commission will conduct a review of our response and recovery to ensure we are even better prepared for the next natural disaster."

The following information quantifies the wide-ranging impact that local government has in responding to an emergency:

Response Phase

• 1507 Nashvillians got transportation to a shelter.
• Metro operated 52 warming locations, including five 24/7 warming centers plus 7 police precincts and 42 fire stations.
• Metro Codes inspected 1,200 weatherheads that needed reconnecting, with all inspections occurring in two hours or less from time of request.
• The hubNashville team processed 24,045 hub requests, a 142% increase compared to the previous year.
• Metro Water Services fixed 172 water lines. For 14 consecutive days, employees were available 24/7.
• Metro Social Services completed 1,000 welfare calls to vulnerable Nashvillians and made 1,591 meal deliveries.

Recovery Phase

• NDOT has already picked up more than 90,000 cubic yards of debris off streets, and we currently have more than 115 crews working daily on debris pickups.
• United Way has sent $380,000 via the Winter Storm Recovery Fund to area non-profits that provide direct assistance to Nashvillians.
• The Metro Action Commission has $1 million to support those needing help with rent or mortgage payments.
• The 2-1-1 team has answered 2,259 calls for assistance, and VOAD is processing more than 3,000 needs requests.
• Opened 2 local Disaster Assistance Centers at Hadley Park Community Center and Smith Springs Community Center where residents can access hubNashville, Legal Aid Society, Metro Action Commission, Metro Codes, Metro Public Health, Metro Social Services, Nashville General Hospital, Nashville Humane Association, Office of Emergency Management, American Red Cross, Tennessee Department of Labor, VOAD, WeGo, Mental Health Cooperative, and additional partner agencies all in one place. The centers are open from 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday-Friday, and Saturday from 9 a.m.-3 p.m.
• Nashville Electric Service has pledged a $1 million donation to the Winter Storm Recovery Fund.

To amplify the work of Restore Nashville and Metro agencies, volunteers are vital to our recovery efforts because they help unearth unreported needs through canvassing and clean up events in hard-hit neighborhoods. Over the weekend, our partner Hands On had 44 debris volunteers, including Mayor O'Connell, 11 disaster volunteer leaders, 7 canvassers, and 4 Hands On staff members to help. More are needed and people can sign up to volunteer at hon.org.

While Mayor O'Connell has asked NDOT to expedite debris removal and use all its resources to make a sweep of the city, volunteer efforts will likely continue for weeks, even months. In the needs tracker alone, there are more than 1,300 requests for help with debris removal.

Needs Tracker

Media members, please help us share that we still need to know what Nashvillians need. Any help you can give sharing the needs tracker at NashvilleResponds.com is appreciated. To report a need, residents can also call 2-1-1. They can also visit one of our two Disaster Assistance Centers.