Courtesy Photo | A power team from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Tulsa District works to install a...... read more read more
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (Jan. 29, 2026) – With power outages impacting emergency response efforts in Tennessee, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Nashville District’s emergency managers are supporting a FEMA tasking to deliver and install generators as requested by the state of Tennessee in the wake of Winter Storm Fern.
USACE conducted site assessments and contractors moved generators overnight to communication towers in Savannah and Bethel Springs, Tennessee, from a staging point at Fort Campbell, Kentucky, as part of Task Force Temporary Emergency Power.
“I’m incredibly impressed by the readiness and quick action to complete assessments and installations at a moment’s notice,” said Lt. Col. Guillermo Guandique, Nashville District commander. “As America’s engineers, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers stands ready, working alongside the State of Tennessee to support communities when they need it most.”
Leading up to the winter storm, USACE Headquarters deployed three Temporary Emergency Power Planning and Response Teams, soldiers from the 249th Prime Power Engineer Battalion, and contractors to various locations within the Southeast and East Coast of the United States.
One of those power teams from the USACE Tulsa District is in the state of Tennessee providing emergency temporary power to critical public facilities and is currently installing two 56-kilowatt generators to restore power to the communication towers to ensure first responders can communicate and coordinate recovery efforts.
The team pushed through difficult conditions to reach the towers and has completed the first installation at Bethel Springs. They are currently working on the installation in Savannah. Icy roads and freezing temperatures are challenging but doing the work safely and completing this mission are USACE’s top priorities.
The Nashville District commander; Tennessee Emergency Management Agency and Adam Gaskin, USACE Great Lakes and Ohio River Division’s Public Works and Engineering (ESF-3) team leader for this mission; and TEMA Radio Communications Manager Jimmy Floyd; met this morning to coordinate emergency response efforts.
“While we always hope for blue-sky conditions, experience has taught us to prepare for the worst. That’s why USACE conducts all-hazards planning and exercises, ensuring we’re ready to respond when called,” Gaskin said. “Whether it’s winter storms, flooding, or other emergencies, we work alongside the state to supplement their efforts and provide needed support.”
Floyd noted that with this winter storm, power took a huge hit. Electrical power outages occurred and for days we approached 300,000 people without electricity. Those numbers have been fluctuating, but it also impacted first responder communication systems and cellular providers cross state, and refueling efforts to keep generators operating in remote areas proved difficult, he explained.
“Resources provided by the Corps of Engineers was needed to keep critical public safety communication systems on the air,” Floyd said. “Without those communications platforms would have gone dark affecting emergency services, affecting the Highway Patrol, state agencies, even the Tennessee National Guard. They would have had to utilize very sporadic communications systems.”
USACE brings unique capabilities to emergency responses but is just one piece of a much larger Army and Department of War team working to support federal, state, and local partners.
| Date Taken: | 01.29.2026 |
| Date Posted: | 01.29.2026 16:12 |
| Story ID: | 557080 |
| Location: | NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE, US |
| Web Views: | 28 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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