“When in Doubt, Throw it Out,” says Public Health Official

NASHVILLE – Due to the recent flooding and power outages experienced across middle and west Tennessee, food safety must be a top priority for affected residents. To ensure safety and wellness, Tennessee public health officials urge individuals to throw away all food that may have come in contact with flood water as well as those perishables exposed to temperatures about 40 degrees Fahrenheit for two hours or more.

TDOT crews use a 25 ft. snow plow to salt and plow two travel lanes at once on I-40 in West Tennessee.

NASHVILLE – The Tennessee Department of Transportation and Tennessee Highway Patrol continue to advise motorists to stay off area roadways this weekend unless travel is necessary.  TDOT continues to work to keep roads clear of snow and ice after Friday’s powerful winter storm.  Crews have been out salting and plowing roadways since early Friday morning.  Despite these efforts, patches of snow and ice remain on roadways across the state with concentrated areas of heavy snow in some places.  Most interstate exit and entrance ramps also remain slick. 

Nashville area roadways continue to be covered with layers of snow, ice and slush.  TDOT Help trucks in Nashville reported working nearly 300 incidents by 2 a.m.  Crews in middle Tennessee have used approximately 6,000 tons of salt and 525,000 gallons of salt brine in an effort to remove snow and ice from roadways.  Incidents of black ice have been reported in the southern part of the region, particularly along I-24 in Rutherford County and I-65 from Williamson County to the Tennessee/Alabama state line.  Interstates in rural mountainous areas of east Tennessee also continue to be slick and motorists should use extreme caution.  The Tennessee Highway Patrol advises drivers to stay off the roads unless necessary.