Dickson County Declares State of Emergency As Ice, Outages Strain Services

Charlotte, TN — Dickson County Mayor Bob Rial signed a declaration of emergency Sunday as an ice and snow event left thousands of households without power, drove a surge in calls for service, and prompted county officials to close government offices for the start of the week.

Speaking from the county’s emergency operations center alongside Sheriff Tim Eads and Emergency Management Director Rob Fisher, Rial said Dickson County’s general government offices will be closed Monday and Tuesday, though he emphasized that a large portion of the county workforce remains in the field supporting public safety and recovery efforts.

“We’re going to close offices on Monday and Tuesday. That’s just our general offices,” Rial said, noting that road crews and other personnel were still working to help clear roadways and assist with restoration efforts. The county road department, he said, is focused on clearing downed trees and coordinating with the electric department and other agencies “to get these roads open so emergency services can get there” and utilities can restore service as quickly as possible.

Thousands without power; call volume climbs

Officials said power restoration may be uneven for some residents, with outages returning even after brief periods of service.

“We still have a lot of power outages and it could be touch and go for a while,” Eads said, warning residents that they “might have power for three or four hours and then you might lose it again.”

As of 2 p.m. Sunday, Fisher said Dickson County was averaging about 7,000 households without power, a number he cautioned could fluctuate as repairs continue and additional outages occur. He also referenced the Dickson Electric System outage map showing about 15,000 customers without power across its broader service district, which includes multiple counties.

Emergency services have also seen a heavy workload. Fisher said the county had received just over 210 calls for service by 2 p.m., involving law enforcement, EMS, and fire agencies.

To handle the demand, Eads said the sheriff’s office had increased staffing.

“We have adequate personnel on at sheriff’s office,” Eads said, adding, “we beefed our numbers up to keep up with any call volume.”

YMCA warming station open; rides available

With temperatures expected to drop and outages lingering, officials urged residents without safe heat to seek help rather than trying to ride out dangerous conditions at home.

“If you don’t have gas logs or some way to stay warm, we don’t want you to be afraid,” Eads said. “Call in to central dispatch… and we will try to make arrangements to get to you.”

Officials said a warming station and shelter is open at the YMCA in Dickson, and residents who need transportation should call Central Dispatch at 615-446-8041 to request assistance.

“We will come and get you if you have no power, no heat,” Eads said. “Don’t go without.”

Road conditions and delays expected

County officials cautioned residents to expect slower response times from emergency crews due to hazardous roads, many of which remain icy or partially blocked.

“Expect some extended response times for our emergency services to get to you,” Fisher said. “We still got a lot of ice and snow on these roads… so just plan on and be prepared for a duration of time for us to get to you if need be.”

Fisher and Eads also urged residents to treat all downed power lines as energized and dangerous, and to call 911 if they spot lines on or near their property.

Trash disposal sites closed; alternatives possible midweek

In addition to office closures, Rial said the county’s convenience centers and landfill are closed. He acknowledged trash disposal became a major problem during a similar storm two years ago and said the county is considering alternate options if closures continue into the middle of the week.

“We will look at something middle of the week if we can’t get those open to find an alternative way to help people dispose of their trash,” Rial said.

Emergency declaration signed

Rial said he signed the emergency declaration earlier Sunday to allow the county to request additional help from the State of Tennessee if needed over the coming days.

“By signing that, that allows us to call on more assets from the state of Tennessee as we need to get us through this issue,” Rial said.

He warned conditions could worsen as colder temperatures settle in and noted that while the county is experienced with snow response, ice presents a different challenge.

“Ice is a different factor and it just requires some sunlight and heat,” Rial said. “So, we’re going to be a few days behind getting that up.”

Rial thanked county employees, municipal partners, volunteer fire departments, and others working in dangerous conditions to keep residents safe, and said officials would continue providing updates as the situation develops.

Need help?

• No heat / need a ride to the warming station: Call Central Dispatch 615-446-8041

• Downed power lines / emergency: Call 911