NASHVILLE, Tenn. (Dec. 23, 2015) – Mayor Megan Barry is encouraging Nashville employers to send their workers home early Wednesday in anticipation of potentially severe weather that could arrive late in the day.
The mayor asks that employers use their best judgment and consider staggering employees’ departure times so that everyone won’t get on the city’s streets and interstates at the same time.
“My first priority is that our citizens are safe,” Mayor Barry said. “We have the best chance of making sure that happens if we manage the combination of severe weather and holiday travel by getting people off the roads and into their homes as quickly as possible.”
#Nashville @MayorMeganBarry encourages employers to send workers home early today ahead of severe weather https://t.co/hV7XRPoTDA
— Lee Roberts (@lead230) December 23, 2015
The Mayor’s Office also has asked Metro departments to use their discretion in deciding when to send their employees home prior to the anticipated storms. Mayor Barry urged citizens to be ready to move to an interior, windowless room and have their cell phones charged and flashlights ready in case of a power outage.
Metro’s Office of Emergency Management (OEM) will partially activate the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) at 2 p.m. Wednesday to prepare for potentially high winds, large hail and the possibility of tornadoes. An activation of the EOC means Metro departments and partner community agencies will be working together in real time to keep the community safe.
Agencies initially activated at the EOC include the Office of Emergency Management, Metro Public Works, Metro Police, the Davidson County Sheriff’s Office, Nashville Fire Department, the Metro Emergency Communications Center, Metro Water Services, Nashville Electric Service, Metro Transit Authority, the American Red Cross and the National Weather Service.
Once the EOC is activated, media should call the Emergency Operations Center Media Line at (615) 880-2990 for specific requests. Thank you.
The NERVE (Nashville Emergency Response Viewing Engine) will be activated in coordination with this EOC activation. This new site will provide information about storm-related road closures, any evacuation areas or routes, shelters and relief centers. NERVE also includes a media tab with a Twitter feed and press releases. Please see http://nerve.nashville.gov.
