Tennessee confirms five weather-related deaths as Davidson County reports two fatalities amid prolonged outages

State officials update storm death toll; Nashville area grapples with widespread power and infrastructure impacts

Tennessee officials confirmed five weather-related deaths statewide following a multi-day winter storm that brought snow, freezing rain and dangerous cold across large portions of the state. Two of the fatalities were confirmed in Davidson County, pushing the statewide total higher as emergency response operations continued into Tuesday, Jan. 27, 2026.

The updated death toll was included in a late-Monday flash report from the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency, which relayed the confirmed count from the Tennessee Department of Health. The report listed one death each in Crockett, Haywood and Obion counties, in addition to two in Davidson County. Authorities have not released the identities of those who died, and officials had not publicly detailed the specific circumstances behind the Davidson County deaths at the time of the update.

In Haywood County, local law enforcement reported that a 66-year-old man died after suffering a heart attack while shoveling snow at his home Sunday afternoon. Officials did not provide comparable incident descriptions for the other counties in the statewide summary.

State of emergency and forecast concerns

As of Tuesday morning, Tennessee remained under a Level 3 State of Emergency tied to the winter storm system. Emergency management officials warned that the weather pattern was not yet finished, with additional freezing rain, continuing cold air and wind gusts forecast for Tuesday. The combination of ice accumulation and low temperatures has heightened risks associated with travel, exposure, and prolonged utility disruptions.

Power outages dominate response in Middle Tennessee

Power restoration remained the central operational challenge in West and Middle Tennessee. In the Nashville area, outages reached historic levels for the Nashville Electric Service, with officials reporting extensive physical damage to the distribution system, including dozens of broken utility poles and downed lines. As temperatures dropped into the single digits overnight, the scale and duration of outages raised concerns about cold exposure for residents without reliable heat.

• Statewide outages peaked above 300,000 customers during the storm period.
• Davidson County accounted for a substantial share of those outages at points during the response.
• Utility officials warned restoration could take multiple days in the hardest-hit areas due to system damage and hazardous conditions.

Secondary impacts: water systems and communications

Beyond electricity, officials reported storm-related strain on drinking water infrastructure in multiple counties. While systems continued to provide water, the storm’s effects on power and access complicated operations and monitoring. Emergency management officials also warned that some areas experienced reduced cellular service tied to power loss and ice damage, prompting repeated reminders to reserve 911 calls for life-threatening emergencies.

Residents are urged to treat downed power lines as energized, limit travel on icy roads, and seek warming locations when home heating is not safe or available.

Officials indicated that additional updates would follow as medical examiners and local agencies complete investigations and as storm recovery efforts progress across the state.