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A resolution recognizing Metropolitan Government employees for extraordinary efforts during inclement weather in January 2026.
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WHEREAS, multiple weather sources predicted significant snowfall along with a wintry mix of ice and freezing rain for the weekend of January 24 and 25, 2026; and
WHEREAS, many Metropolitan Government departments and partners began planning and preparing their responses to dangerous conditions throughout the city resulting from the inclement weather; and
WHEREAS, the storm brought freezing rain that damaged trees everywhere in the city, felling more than 700 electric poles and snapping electric wires in every part of Nashville; and
WHEREAS, Nashville Department of Transportation and Multimodal Infrastructure (“NDOT”) placed brine on roads pre-emptively and had its largest fleet of snowplows ever at the ready to clear roads on their recently developed optimized routing program while also incorporating information from citizens; and
WHEREAS, Nashville Department of Waste Services (“NWS”) began running extra-long day pick-up routes several days before the storm to ensure that waste pick-up was not disrupted by difficult road conditions and so their trucks would not hamper NDOT’s efforts after the snow started; and
WHEREAS, Nashville Electric Service (“NES”) prepared their crews in advance to be ready to deal with ice accumulation on power lines or trees near power lines, and had contract partners from other utilizes on stand-by if additional resources were necessary to deal with downed power lines and power poles, and notified citizens of ways to report and monitor power outages; and
WHEREAS, the more than 235,000 power outages set a new record, and NES ran 14-to-16-hour shifts around the clock with more than 1,200 line workers from Nashville and other partner utilities to restore power to over half the city; and
WHEREAS, Metro Water Services (“MWS”) employees worked in wet and cold conditions at all hours to repair water mains damaged by the extreme cold weather; and
WHEREAS, Metro Office of Emergency Management (“OEM”) and Nashville Fire Department (“NFD”) worked from the Emergency Command Center to monitor incidents related to the severe weather and dispatch appropriate personnel and departments to deal with damage; and
WHEREAS, Department of Emergency Communications (“DEC”) dispatchers managed countless calls and sent emergency responders to address various parts of the crisis; and
WHEREAS, Metro Nashville Police Department (“MNPD”) provided assistance to people in distress all over the city and opened up their precincts as warming stations; and
WHEREAS, NFD provided assistance to fire and medical situations and opened up their firehalls as warming stations; and
WHEREAS, Metro Parks opened up and staffed some community centers as warming stations; and
WHEREAS. Metro Social Services (“MSS”) handed out snow meal boxes and opened up food pop-ups ahead of the storm to distribute food that can be stored and eaten without refrigeration or cooking; and
WHEREAS, the Office of Homeless Services (“OHS”) extended hours of the emergency overflow shelters and partners in homeless outreach worked to reach all unsheltered people to assist them in accessing the shelters available and ran the overflow shelter for an unprecedented 17 days in a row; and
WHEREAS, due to unrelenting cold weather, efforts continue to restore power, repair broken water mains, provide shelter and transportation, and to support the people of Nashville and Davidson County; and
WHEREAS, it is fitting and proper that the Metropolitan Council recognize the work of these dedicated employees and public servants.
WHEREAS, the Nashville Department of Transportation and Multimodal Infrastructure (“NDOT”) place brine on roads pre-emptively and had its largest fleet of snowplows ever at the ready to clear roads on their recently developed optimized routing program while also incorporating information from citizens; and
WHEREAS, the Nashville Department of Waste Services (“NWS”) began running extra-long day pick-up routes several days before the storm to ensure that waste pick-up was not disrupted by difficult road conditions and so their trucks would not hamper NDOT’s efforts after the snow started; and
WHEREAS, Nashville Electric Service (“NES”) prepared their crews in advance to be ready to deal with ice accumulation on power lines or trees near power lines, and had contract partners from other utilizes on stand-by if additional resources were necessary to deal with downed power lines and power poles, and notified citizens of ways to report and monitor power outages; and
WHEREAS, Department of Water and Sewerage Service (“MWS”) employees worked in wet and cold conditions at all hours to repair water mains damaged by the extreme cold weather; and
WHEREAS, the Office of Emergency Management (“OEM”) and Nashville Fire Department (“NFD”) worked from the Emergency Command Center to monitor incidents related to the severe weather and dispatch appropriate personnel and departments to deal with damage; and
WHEREAS, Metropolitan Nashville Police Department (“MNPD”) officers provided assistance to people in distress all over the city; and
WHEREAS, the Office of Homeless Services (“OHS”) extended hours of the emergency overflow shelters and partners in homeless outreach worked to reach all unsheltered people to assist them in accessing the shelters available; and
WHEREAS, it is fitting and proper that the Metropolitan Council recognize the work of these dedicated employees and public servants.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE METROPOLITAN GOVERNMENT OF NASHVILLE AND DAVIDSON COUNTY:
Section 1. That the Metropolitan Council hereby recognizes the valiant efforts of NDOT, NWS, NES, MWS, OEM, NFD, DEC, MNPD, Metro Parks, MSS, OHS, and many other departments that planned ahead and executed incredible help and outreach under difficult circumstances.
Section 2. The Metropolitan Council expresses our deepest appreciation and the thanks of its constituents to all the employees and volunteers who worked tirelessly and selflessly to ensure that Nashvillians could be safe during this extreme winter weather event.
Section 3. That this Resolution shall take effect from and after its adoption, the welfare of The Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County requiring it.