NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The Tennessee Emergency Management Agency said there were "eight weather-related fatalities" across the state as an arctic blast swept through the state and brought temperatures dangerously low.
They said six of those fatalities were in Cumberland County, and two were in Shelby County.
The arctic blast brought temperatures down to the single digits late Thursday night and into Friday morning, with winds that reached over 40 mph. The low temperatures and high winds combined and brought wind chills down to -20 degrees in some places across East Tennessee.
As a result of those freezing temperatures, TEMA also said that several places across the state started experiencing problems with water systems as temperatures start to rise back up. There are 32 counties in the state that have reported issues with their water systems and 15 jurisdictions that issued boil water advisories, they said.
The State Emergency Operations Center was activated at level three, according to TEMA. At that level, the Tennessee Emergency Management Plan is activated and some emergency service coordinators for state departments are called to the center to organize a response.
TEMA said the weather in Knoxville was expected to reach a high of 51 degrees on Wednesday, with a low of 29 degrees later in the night.