10 people dead in Kentucky after Winter Storm Fern, Gov. Beshear says

Valarie Honeycutt Spears, Lexington Herald-Leader on Jan 28, 2026

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Gov. Andy Beshear on Wednesday said 10 people in Kentucky have died as a result of Winter Storm Fern, which slammed Kentucky with several inches of snow and ice over the weekend.

Beshear released the ages and home counties of the victims: a 68-year-old man in Daviess County; a 79-year-old man in Graves County; a 55-year-old man in Jefferson County; a 64-year-old man in Johnson County; two 71-year-old men in Johnson County; a 78-year-old man in Owen County; and a 62-year-old man in Pulaski County.

More details have emerged about the other two victims: Marvin Knuckles, a 48-year-old man in Morgan County, was an inmate at Eastern Kentucky Correctional Complex who died after a fall while he was shoveling snow, according to the state corrections department.

Betty Veach, a 72-year-old woman in Whitley County, died after falling on ice, according to Beshear and Veach’s family. Beshear said hypothermia was a factor in Veach’s death.

“This has been a massive storm. Sadly we have now lost 10 Kentuckians,” Beshear said. “Let’s make sure that we don’t lose others.”

Beshear said these victims’ families will receive $10,000 each from the Team Kentucky Emergency Relief Fund to help pay for funeral costs.

“If we can be there for these families, we want to be, and we hope this support can be a little bit of light in a dark time. We’re praying for these families during this difficult time,” Beshear said.

In addition to these deaths, a contracted snow plow driver was injured in a crash on the Western Kentucky Parkway in Grayson County Wednesday, Beshear said. The driver was flown to a hospital, according to Beshear.

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