14 dead in Tennessee as harsh winter weather sweeps across state


Temperatures were negative Wednesday morning and are expected to soon rise above freezing.

The banks of the Cumberland River and the surrounding forests are covered in snow on January 16, 2024. – WTVF/Sky5

At least 14 people have died from weather-related incidents in Tennessee, the Tennessee Department of Health said as temperatures continue to drop across the United States amid a winter storm. News Channel 5 reported.

The Tennessee Emergency Management Agency (TEMA) reported that a 66-year-old man died Monday after falling through a skylight while clearing snow from the roof of a Hickman County business.

Monday, dispatchers received a 911 call about a man who reportedly fell through a skylight at a business on Highway 100.

He fell 20 feet, landed on a concrete floor and was pronounced dead at the scene, according to TEMA.

Additionally, one death was reported in Madison, five in Shelby, two in Washington, one in Carroll, one in Knox, one in Van Buren, one in Lauderdale and one in Henry Counties.

TEMA did not directly indicate how the weather resulted in these deaths or their identities, but temperatures in Middle Tennessee were negative Wednesday morning.

Those numbers should rise above freezing by Thursday afternoon.

“Extremely cold temperatures across the region have increased demand on the electrical system. Businesses and the public have been asked to reduce electrical energy use as much as possible without sacrificing safety. Temperatures are not expected to rise above freezing until at least Thursday,” TEMA said in the report.

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