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This week’s winter weather was hard. Hard on our roads. Hard on our workforce. Hard on anyone who had to venture out in ice and extreme cold.
I know many of you were frustrated with road conditions. That frustration is fair. Ice is especially difficult to treat when temperatures stay this low. I also know that many of you are thankful we were able to weather this storm with very few power outages and weather-related deaths. The preparation our teams took, and the way we moved during the storm, proved to be a strong combination for protecting people and infrastructure.
So what worked?
We prepared early. Public Works crews and contractors pretreated priority routes, applying more than 46,000 gallons of brine across more than 1,800 lane miles. Crews were staged. Plans were activated. We were ready to respond.
And when conditions changed, we changed.
 MPD’s Snow Angels Detail completed more than 516 transports.
Since Friday, the women and men on our public works team have worked around the clock. As roads iced and refroze, crews shifted to active clearing, prioritizing primary and emergency routes, applying more than 2,000 tons of salt, and logging nearly 3,900 hours of work. Their work followed a road-clearing strategy developed with our partners at FedEx, designed to help us focus resources where they were needed most. This week marked the second time we deployed that strategy.
Our teams also worked to keep critical facilities and essential services moving. Crews carried out ice mitigation at fire stations, police stations, libraries, community centers, and transit facilities, servicing all 57 fire stations, 14 police stations, seven libraries, and six community centers. At the same time, Memphis Fire Department crews responded to 21 working structure fires and handled 2,319 EMS calls, while MPD’s Snow Angels Detail completed more than 516 transports so essential workers could report to duty.
Most importantly, we focused on people. In partnership with the Hospitality Hub, we opened an emergency shelter for people experiencing homelessness, serving more than 1,600 individuals over six days. Seven of our community centers were converted to warming centers, with three operating 24 hours a day. Through Thursday, 508 residents were served in those centers, with about 50 people sheltered overnight each night. And MATA was activated to help residents reach those warming centers safely.
And we stayed in touch. Through yesterday, City teams shared 120 social media posts across six platforms, with more than 900k views, made more than 100 real-time updates to our winter weather and snow and ice map pages, and held seven press briefings to keep information clear and current.
This week was difficult. There is still work to do. But our responsibility is simple.
Prepare early. Act quickly. Care for people. That is what we are doing. And that is what we will continue to do.
For real-time updates, winter weather preparedness information, and details on temporary shelters, visit our city social pages or memphistn.gov/winterweather.
Please note my State of the City address has been postponed to February 10. See post below.
Good News!
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Track Our Progress
The linked reports below provide evidence to support our public safety strategy and our work to ensure municipal fiscal responsibility. These dashboard provides a quick overview, with the ability to dive in deeper to neighborhoods and divisions. Both dashboards updates daily.
 SAFER COMMUNITIES: View the dashboard here.
 FINANCE TRACKER: View the tracker here.
To report concerns related to property violations, potholes, and trash, click the link here or call 311 to speak to a live agent.
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City of Memphis Meetings & Notices
Office of Creative and Cultural Economy. Applications are open for the Memphis Poet Laureate, a two-year opportunity for an accomplished local poet to serve as a public voice for our city. The position includes a $20,000 honorarium and the chance to design a community-focused literary initiative that uplifts our city’s creative spirit. Learn more, share, or apply here.
Single Family Home Rehab Application Now Open. The Community Redevelopment Agency is accepting applications for its home rehabs in the Binghamton and Uptown Neighborhoods. This program has rehabilitated over 300 homes since its inception in 2018. Learn more and apply here.
State Of The City!
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