The Tennessee Department of Health (TDH) confirmed 19 Tennesseans died as of Friday evening due to the winter weather and extreme cold in the state.
“The Tennessee Department of Health has confirmed 19 weather-related fatalities. Seven in Shelby County, one in Hickman County, one in Madison County, two in Washington County, one in Carroll County, one in Knox County, one in Van Buren County, one in Lauderdale County, one in Henry County, two in Marshall County, and one in Roane County,” the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency (TEMA) wrote in its Flash Report.
A winter weather system consisting of dangerously cold temperatures and snow began traveling through the Volunteer State one week ago.
A majority of the state is under a wind chill advisory until Sunday morning, according to the National Weather Service.
In Nashville, temperatures are expected to rise above freezing beginning on Monday and into the first week of February.
The weather and extreme cold have increased the demand for power across the state. As a result, the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) began asking utility companies on Tuesday to request their customers voluntarily conserve their power usage to “reduce electric consumption” until further notice.
As of 2:00 p.m. CST on Friday, TEMA recorded 300 reports of power outages statewide.
In addition, as of 7:00 p.m. CST on Friday, TEMA recorded 16 counties with reported water utilities with operational issues and 19 water systems that had issued Boil Water Advisories.
TEMA Director Patrick C. Sheehan declared a State of Emergency on Wednesday to provide commercial vehicles transporting livestock, poultry, and feed for the livestock and poultry relief from hours of service until 3:59 p.m. on January 27.
Sheehan also declared a State of Emergency to provide commercial vehicles transporting fuel relief from service hours until 3:59 p.m. on January 27.
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Kaitlin Housler is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network. Follow Kaitlin on X / Twitter.
