Mayor Freddie O’Connell has issued Executive Order 58 establishing a new commission to review Metro Nashville’s preparation for and response to Winter Storm Fern, citing the need for transparency and accountability following the most severe power outage in the city’s history.
The order creates the 2026 Winter Storm Response Commission, tasked with examining the storm response that began Jan. 24 and, at its peak, left approximately 230,000 Nashville Electric Service customers without power. As of nine days after the storm, power had been restored to more than 200,000 homes.
“As we complete our disaster response to Winter Storm Fern, I (and many Nashvillians) are looking for deeper accountability about our preparedness before the storm and responsiveness during the storm with regard to our electric grid,” O’Connell said. “And we want to hold ourselves accountable for the whole-of-government response.”…