Winter storm 2026
Photo: Eric England

After suffering significant damage from Saturday's winter storm, recovery efforts are in full swing across Williamson County.

Thanks to a potent mixture of snow, sleet, ice and single-digit temperatures, many across the county were left without power. At its peak, Middle Tennessee Electric (MTE) had nearly 24,000 outages, the majority of which — approximately 15,000 — were in Williamson. West Williamson County, specifically Fairview, was hit the hardest, with more than 10,000 outages, while treacherous road conditions made the affected areas difficult to access.

As of 11:30 a.m. on Thursday, Jan. 29, just 54 Williamson County MTE members remained without power as linemen crews continued to restore downed power lines and other damaged equipment. However, many of the Williamson County residents — including several Brentwood neighborhoods — that fall under the coverage of Nashville Electric Service (NES) are still without power.

On Thursday morning, Gov. Bill Lee requested that President Donald Trump grant an Expedited Major Disaster Declaration for 23 counties in Tennessee, including Williamson. 

“Winter Storm Fern has created significant damage in communities across Tennessee, and state and local officials, first responders and volunteers continue to provide critical support,” Lee said in a release. 

The request would allow for both Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Public Assistance and Individual Assistance to support response and recovery efforts in the affected counties. 

As of Wednesday night, the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency reported that the death toll from the winter storm had reached 13, but none of the deaths were reported to be in Williamson County. 

As bus routes and secondary roads in Williamson County remained difficult to navigate, Williamson County Schools closed for the entire week, while the Franklin Special School District was out through at least Thursday. The WCS School Age Child Care program opened on Thursday and Friday at all inclement weather sites with the exception of Fairview.

All Williamson County government offices returned to normal operations on Wednesday, while all Williamson County Library, parks and recreation facilities, and landfill and convenience centers reopened with moderated schedules. 

The temporary warming shelters at Fairview High School (2595 Fairview Blvd.) and Franklin High School (810 Hillsboro Road) remain open for those still without power as temperatures are expected to plummet again over the weekend.

The Williamson County Emergency Management Agency says that Rolling Hills Community Church in Franklin may assist with hotel costs for families without electricity, and Southall Church in Franklin may cover hotel rooms for affected families in Franklin and nearby areas, as well as provide residents with borrowable generators. 

WCEMA urges residents to report any damage from the storm here to help the organization better understand which areas were affected by the winter storm and to support local and state damage assessments.