Winter Storms and Public Safety

A 66-year-old man in Haywood County, Tennessee, died of an apparent heart attack while shoveling snow at his home, adding to at least eight weather-related deaths reported across seven Tennessee counties during the current winter storm, according to local officials. Paramedics pronounced him dead at the scene, and authorities are withholding his name pending notification of relatives. The Tennessee Department of Health says recent storm fatalities include victims in Cheatham, Crockett, Davidson, Haywood, Hickman, Knox and Obion counties, with one case involving an 11-year-old boy in Crockett County. The state remains under a Level 3 State of Emergency as prolonged subfreezing temperatures strain power systems, leave many roads dangerously icy, and hamper the effectiveness of de-icing treatments. Cardiologists cited in the piece note that just 10 minutes of heavy snow shoveling can push the heart near its maximum rate and that adults over 65 or with heart-risk factors face elevated danger when exerting themselves in extreme cold.