Churches mobilize relief after historic winter storm batters Tennessee

Local churches across Middle Tennessee opened their doors and organized community relief efforts after winter storms struck the region in late January.

The ice storm began on January 24, and, according to the Nashville Scene, at its peak left about 230,000 Nashville Electric Service (NES) customers without power, with many residents enduring days without electricity or heat as fallen trees and icy roadways blocked travel and delayed restoration efforts. As of early February, dozens of storm-related deaths and widespread property damage continued to be reported around the area.

At Madison Campus, leaders opened their church building to serve as a temporary shelter for community members who lost power and heat. Andrew Anobile, the associate pastor, said the church began welcoming residents after learning that nearby families were without electricity and facing frigid conditions.

“We just wanted to make sure everyone was warm and had food and water and power,” Anobile said. “We provided floor space, warmth, electricity, Wi-Fi and air mattresses, and our members brought meals every day. The people who stayed at our church were people who truly had nowhere else to go.”

The church served 13 adults, 8 children and 5 seniors. Some stayed overnight, while others used the space during the day as they waited for the power to be restored. Church members also helped transport residents who could not reach the church themselves.

According to Anobile, an elderly woman was trapped in her home without heat after a fallen tree blocked access to her door. Church members cleared the debris then brought her to the church.

“When she arrived, she wasn’t doing well at all,” Anobile said. “We warmed her up, gave her food, and she started doing fine. It’s humbling because that’s someone who really could have died if she hadn’t been able to get out.”

In surrounding communities, different volunteers assisted residents with cleanup and emergency supplies. Teams came from several churches, including congregations in Woodbury and Nashville, a church in Bowling Green, Ky., and students from Highland Academy.

Johnny Rodman, a member of the Oasis Church and founder of the nonprofit disaster relief organization Light in the Storm, said volunteers distributed generators, heaters and fuel and helped remove debris across multiple cities. Cleanup and assistance took place in Nashville, Gallatin, Hendersonville and White House.

Rodman said many of those helped were elderly or living on fixed incomes and could not afford cleanup services.

“We’ve never done an ice storm cleanup before, and the damage was widespread,” Rodman said. “There’s debris everywhere, trees and power lines down, and people without heat. There are more than 2,000 cleanup requests listed, and that tells you how desperate people are for help right now.”

Both Anobile and Rodman said the response demonstrated how local churches can serve their communities during emergencies.

“When people look back and ask where God was during this,” Anobile said, “I hope they remember that His church was there for them.”