Thousands still without power after Southern ice storm; at least three dozen dead

At least three dozen people have died across Tennessee, Mississippi and Louisiana and thousands remain without power a week after a widespread ice storm, officials said, as crews worked to restore service in Nashville and surrounding areas by Sunday, Feb. 1, 2026. Nashville accounted for a majority of outages in Tennessee, with about 33,000 customers still without power as of early Sunday afternoon.

The Nashville Electric Service acknowledged the scope of repairs and communications had been problematic and warned that some neighborhoods could take at least another week to regain full service, with one ZIP code not expected to have full power until Feb. 11. Residents and community groups spent another weekend feeding and housing vulnerable neighbors, replacing spoiled groceries and offering shelter.

Nashville councilwoman Terry Vo, who lost power for four days, said, “Everyone has been touched by this,” and described coordinating food distribution. Other residents described bouncing among friends’ homes or leaving the state to find heat. Officials and service providers warned of mounting dangers and costs: dozens of carbon monoxide poisonings were reported to the Tennessee Poison Center as some turned to generators, and repair and replacement bills for meters, cars and property were rising.

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