As Hurricane Isaias builds and approaches landfall as soon as late Oct. 9, Nashville Electric Service says it’s preparing for potential widespread outages this weekend in Nashville and Middle Tennessee.
The National Weather Service’s latest public advisory issued at 7 a.m. Oct. 9 noted that the storm’s “on the cusp of major hurricane strength,” with maximum sustained winds near 110 mph and the potential for major flooding near the coast.
While Middle Tennessee is expected to see only the remnants of Isaias and won’t feel quite the same effects, NES still warns that heavy rainfall, possible flash flooding and wind gusts are expected to move through the region Oct. 10.
Ahead of the storm’s landfall, forecasters said they expect rainfall totals between
1 and more than 3 inches and wind gusts from 30 to 40 mph in Middle Tennessee, along with the potential for spin-up tornadoes, brief tornadoes that can develop quickly within rain bands associated with tropical systems.
Here’s what NES is urging customers to be aware of.
NES: Avoid flooded roadways, report outages and downed power lines
If any outages occur, NES is asking customers to report them through the utility’s mobile app, calling 615-234-0000 or reporting them directly on its outage map.
The utility says Nashvillians should avoid flooded roads and stay away from standing water near electrical equipment. If you encounter a downed power line, NES says to assume it’s live, stay at least 30 feet away and call 911 to report it.
The utility also shared several preparedness tips ahead of the weekend:
- Charge all mobile devices well in advance of a possible outage.
- Have one or more backup portable batteries on hand in case your phone loses power.
- Access a reliable weather app or website to keep up with the latest details on the approaching inclement weather.
- Prepare a home emergency kit containing items like nonperishable food, bottled water, backup batteries for essential equipment and a flashlight.
- Create an emergency preparedness plan with family members and know the safest place to be in your home if conditions become more dangerous.
Where is Hurricane Isaias? Follow the storm’s path into Tennessee
This forecast track shows the most likely path of the center of the storm. It does not illustrate the full width of the storm or its impacts, and the center of the storm is likely to travel outside the cone up to 33% of the time.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Nashville Electric Service prepares for outages as Hurricane Isaias nears
