Nashville Braces for Extended Power Outages After Devastating Winter Storm

NASHVILLE — Hundreds of thousands remain without power in Tennessee after a crippling snow and ice storm swept through the region. 

At least 238,999 customers were out of power by midday on Monday, including over 150,000 near Nashville, according to a power outage tracking website. Most of those outages were caused by fallen utility poles and trees weighted down by ice falling on power lines. 

Photos and videos of the aftermath of the storm show whole roads blocked by downed power lines and fallen trees. The ice has also led to hazardous road conditions with portions of the interstate blocked by crashes. 

The National Weather Service estimated that Nashville received about two inches of snow and .42 inches of ice, which is enough to cause significant disruption. 

Nashville Electric Service, which provides power for much of the area, said Monday that it had already restored power to over 68,000 customers who lost electricity over the weekend. The company said it had deployed 300 linemen working 14-16-hour shifts to restore power. They said that over 140 utility poles had been reported down in the wake of the storm. 

(Photo by Brett Carlsen/Getty Images)

Nashville Office of Emergency Management Director William Swann said Monday that people should “plan for this as a long haul of being out of power” and that it could take multiple days for power to be restored. 

Parts of the interstate have also been shut down due to accidents caused by icy road conditions. A part of I-65 in south Nashville was shut down after a tractor-trailer jackknifed into a sign hanging over the road, knocking it down. Nashville police have told drivers to treat all intersections as four-way stops due to lights being out of power. 

I-65 N at I-440 is presently shut down due to this situation. Roads, particularly in neighborhoods, are icy and hazardous. A number of traffic lights are out. Treat those intersections as 4-way stops. pic.twitter.com/DcYOvqEU5B

— Metro Nashville PD (@MNPDNashville) January 26, 2026

On Saturday, President Donald Trump approved an emergency declaration for Tennessee, authorizing FEMA “to identify, mobilize and provide, at its discretion, equipment and resources necessary to alleviate the impacts of the emergency.”

Many throughout the South have lost power due to the ice storm. Over 45,000 customers in Texas, 117,000 in Louisiana, and 145,000 in Mississippi were without power as of Monday afternoon.