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Memphis officials outline multi‑agency winter response as council weighs service suspensions
Summary
City department leaders on Jan. 27 told the Memphis City Council that emergency response operations remained active after a prolonged freeze, with warming centers open, transit operating reduced routes and solid‑waste pickups suspended until roads are passable. Officials urged careful documentation for FEMA reimbursement.
Memphis City Council heard a series of briefings Jan. 27 from emergency management, utilities, public works, police, fire and other city divisions as the city continues to respond to an Arctic front that prompted a mayoral state of emergency.
Angie Sullivan, deputy chief of EMS speaking for the city Office of Emergency Management, said the city had been below freezing "for a total of 87 hours" as of 7 a.m., with "total accumulation of snow and sleet between 3 and 5 inches." She told the council that because the governor and the president had approved emergency declarations, FEMA Public Assistance funds may be available and urged "everyone to document well and take pictures" of storm‑related costs. "There is a threshold to meet, and this is best achieved by everyone documenting thoroughly," Sullivan said.
Doug McGowan, president of Memphis Light, Gas and Water, told council members TVA was meeting current generation demand and MLGW had released pre‑positioned contract crews to assist nearby jurisdictions. "The supply and demand are in good balance," McGowan said, while adding that conservation requests…
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