(The Center Square) – Six days after an ice storm roared into Metro Nashville, more than 70,000 customers are still without power, according to Nashville Electric.
The numbers released at noon on Friday are concerning to state officials in light of another blast of arctic air and possibly some snow.
Four deaths in Nashville are possibly related to the weather, according to the Nashville Office of Emergency Management.
More than 1,000 linemen, including some from Florida, Maryland, Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio, Mississippi, Indiana and other parts of Tennessee, are in the field, according to Nashville Electric. Another 150 were expected on Friday, the utility said.
The Tennessee National Guard is also assisting with cleanup in Chester, Hardin, Hickman, Davidson, Shelby, Perry and Lewis counties, according to the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency.
The newest round of wintry weather could complicate cleanup. Wind chills could be 5 degrees below zero on Saturday and Sunday morning, according to the National Weather Service’s Nashville office. Temperatures may not get above freezing until Monday.
The more troublesome weather for this weekend is expected in the eastern portion of the state. Some counties could receive 4-8 inches of snow with wind gusts up to 35 miles per hour, according to the Morristown office of the National Weather Service. Wind chills could be 11 degrees below zero, according to the forecast.
