Nashville police report fifth suspected Winter Storm Fern death after 79-year-old found in 44-degree home

Fifth suspected storm-related death under investigation

Nashville police have reported a fifth suspected Winter Storm Fern-related death in Davidson County after a 79-year-old woman was found inside a home where the thermostat registered 44 degrees. The woman was identified as Betty Doss.

Police said Doss was found Friday morning inside the Heritage Drive home in Madison that she shared with her daughter. Her daughter discovered her on the floor and called 911. Police stated that partial power had recently been restored to the residence, but the home’s heating and air-conditioning system was not working.

The Davidson County Medical Examiner is expected to determine the official cause of death. Police described the case as a suspected weather-related fatality based on the circumstances and indoor conditions at the time of discovery.

How the city is classifying storm deaths

The new report follows city emergency updates earlier this week in which four suspected weather-related deaths in Davidson County were described, with causes pending medical examiner findings. Those cases involved multiple risk factors commonly associated with prolonged winter outages and hazardous conditions, including exposure to cold indoor temperatures and suspected carbon monoxide poisoning linked to generator use.

Across the previously identified cases, officials have described scenarios in which residents were found in homes that had lost power or were using emergency equipment for heat. In at least one case detailed by city officials, the temperature inside a residence was reported in the 40s.

Storm timeline and ongoing recovery conditions

City emergency management officials have identified the event as Winter Storm Fern and said a local state of emergency was declared on January 25, 2026. The city’s emergency operations have included warming locations and transportation assistance for residents seeking shelter from the cold.

In the days following the storm, power restoration remained a central challenge. Utility crews have reported widespread infrastructure damage, including hundreds of broken power poles across the service area, alongside extended restoration timelines for some neighborhoods.

Key public-safety hazards highlighted during the outages

Officials have repeatedly emphasized two immediate dangers during multi-day winter outages: cold exposure inside homes without reliable heat and carbon monoxide risks from improper generator or heating-device use.

• Cold indoor conditions can develop quickly when central heating fails, especially for older residents and those with medical vulnerabilities.
• Generators must be operated outdoors and away from doors, windows, and vents to reduce the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning.
• Residents who cannot maintain safe indoor temperatures are urged to seek warming locations or alternate shelter.

The five deaths are being treated as suspected storm-related fatalities pending medical examiner findings.

Authorities continue to investigate each case individually, with final determinations expected after medical examinations and additional review of the circumstances surrounding each death.