South Cheatham recovers after Winter Storm Fern; Volunteers play key role

Residents of Kingston Springs and Pegram are gradually recovering from Winter Storm Fern, which left thousands without power, damaged homes and blocked roads.

The Cheatham County School District was closed for two full weeks, and returned on Monday, Feb. 9. The last Kingston Springs residents had power restored on Jan. 31, seven days after outages began. In Pegram, the final NES customers regained electricity on Feb. 7, nearly two weeks after losing service. Several homes in the area were reported burned when power was restored.

The storms prompted emergency declarations at multiple levels. Kingston Springs Mayor Todd Verhoven and Pegram Mayor Charles Morehead declared local states of emergency, coordinating resources with Cheatham County Emergency Management, the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

President Donald Trump granted Tennessee $60.6 million in disaster assistance on Feb. 6.

“As Tennesseans begin the recovery process following Winter Storm Fern, I’m grateful to President Trump for granting our Major Disaster Declaration request,” Lee said. “This approval ensures federal resources are available to support Tennesseans,” Gov. Bill Lee said. The funding makes FEMA Public Assistance available to eligible government entities and certain private nonprofits to support recovery costs, overtime, temporary workers and emergency equipment.

Local volunteers played a key role in relief efforts in South Cheatham.

Whitney Gorbett organized recovery groups the Tuesday after the storm, delivering food, water, propane, firewood and generators to heavily impacted areas, including The Ranchettes. She coordinated with Kingston Springs Police and Volunteer Fire Departments to check on residents and transport families to the warming center at Pegram Church of Christ.

“I love opening doors so the helpers can come pouring in,” Gorbett told the Gazette. “No matter the background, we link arms and get it done. Watching a town show up over and over again is the kind of wave of love this world needs right now. And it reminds folks: you’re not alone.”

Amy Davis-Bruce, owner of SKYKING Pizza and Turnbull Provisions, kept her businesses open daily from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., providing warm spaces for residents and charging stations. She also ran a three-day soup kitchen, providing nearly 300 hot meals. On the Wednesday after the storm, local country music star Jake Owen donated meals to The Ranchettes, helping deliver hundreds of hot dinners that evening. Gorbett said more than 200 volunteers signed up for chainsaw work, clearing roads and helping families reach their homes safely.

Mayor Verhoven also praised the community’s response. “Watching this town come together during this awful weather and power outages was truly incredible. We had a volunteer effort that just wouldn’t quit, local businesses doing everything possible to help out and a town roads crew that, if road cleanup were an Olympic sport, would have earned a gold medal."

"We also had all our local heroes from the Police and Fire Departments working around the clock to ensure everyone was safe," he continued. "I cannot thank Mayor McCarver, EMA Director Edwin Hogan, Dickson Electric, and all of our neighboring leaders who answered our calls at all hours and helped deploy resources in record time."

The Cheatham County Solid Waste Center on Sam’s Creek Road is accepting storm-related natural debris at no cost. Residents can drop off tree limbs, sticks and brush from the recent storm from Tuesday to Saturday, 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Drivers must bring a Cheatham County ID, and the center is located at 2791 Sam’s Creek Road. Residents with questions can call 615-792-7538. Officials say more information will be available for residents who cannot transport debris themselves.

Volunteer recovery efforts are still ongoing. Residents who need assistance or want to volunteer can sign up at https://form.jotform.com/Gorbett_Whitney/WinterStormFernCleanup.