Nearly two weeks after an ice storm devastated Nashville, many residents are still experiencing power outages.
On day 12 of the outages, Nashville Electric Service (NES) indicated that about 1,000 people remain without power.
The power company has faced immense backlash for the outages.
UPDATE: An internal audit found Nashville Electric Service at high risk for outages due to inadequate tree trimming, as thousands remain without power weeks after January’s winter storm.
Get the full story: https://t.co/QR2FZSMMCW pic.twitter.com/hCVtYASpQF
— FoxNashville (@FOXNashville) February 5, 2026
WSMV explained further:
NES said on Wednesday that it believes power will be restored to all of its customers by Friday.
But for many in Nashville, while the return of power is essential, it also comes too late for trust to be restored.
ADVERTISEMENTMetro Nashville Police said at least five people in Davidson County are confirmed to have died from the storm, with at least one believed to have died from generator use, and two elderly residents who were found in homes of temperatures below 50 degrees Fahrenheit.
“It’s a letdown,” Nashville resident Ross Holmes said, telling WSMV4’s Dryden Quigley earlier this week that, “at a certain point, you feel abandoned.”
“You feel like you’ve been left literally and figuratively out in the cold,” he said, saying that their home became colder than the nearly-freezing temperatures outdoors. His family, which includes three children, lost about $1,000 worth of food in their refrigerator.
“Thousands of Tennesseans are still without power, and the Nashville Electric Service is squarely to blame,” Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) said.
“@NESpower is refusing to take responsibility for prioritizing DEI training over critical services like tree trimming, but we won’t stop demanding accountability,” she added.
Footage below:
Thousands of Tennesseans are still without power, and the Nashville Electric Service is squarely to blame. @NESpower is refusing to take responsibility for prioritizing DEI training over critical services like tree trimming, but we won’t stop demanding accountability. pic.twitter.com/8tuEppnEb3
— Sen. Marsha Blackburn (@MarshaBlackburn) February 5, 2026
NBC News has more:
There’s bipartisan and widespread consensus that Nashville Electric Service, which serves the city as well as surrounding counties, mishandled the storm, struggling to mobilize enough workers and equipment to quickly clear fallen trees and restore service.
Roughly 6,000 customers still don’t have power 11 days after the storm. Amid communication snafus, some residents were incorrectly told their lights were back on. In Davidson County, a 39-year-old man and a 92-year-old man were found dead of suspected carbon monoxide poisoning in their homes, with generators nearby.
Mayor Freddie O’Connell, a Democrat who appoints the board that oversees Nashville Electric Service, initially defended the utility but this week called its response “unacceptable” and announced a formal review.
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