Death toll from Winter Storm Fern has risen to 15 in Kentucky
Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear on Saturday announced three more deaths from Winter Storm Fern, men from Ballard, Daviess and Hart counties.
The additional deaths bring the state’s total to 15, Beshear said.
Beshear confirmed the deaths of a Ballard County man, 73, and a Hart County man, 64, in a post on the social media platform X Saturday morning.
He said Saturday night that a 15th victim had died, a 66-year-old man from Daviess County.
That man, whose identity was not immediately released, had a heart attack while shoveling snow, according to Daviess County Coroner Jeff Jones.
“Let’s wrap our arms around these families during this difficult time. We’ll get through this together,” Beshear said.
He also reminded people to “please be careful while shoveling snow and ice and take breaks.”
“This is tough work — especially in these extremely cold temperatures — and it can be dangerous,” Beshear wrote. “Take care of yourselves, Kentucky.”
Other victims died after experiencing house fires, hypothermia and falls on the ice, officials said.
Ballard County Emergency Management said Mickey Beasley was found Monday night inside a burning camper on County Line Road in Kevil.
He was taken to a hospital, where he died of his injuries Wednesday, the emergency management agency said in a post on Facebook.
A heating source inside the camper is thought to have started the fire, according to Kevil Fire Chief Ronnie Rathman..
Ballard County sits in far western Kentucky, at the confluence of the Ohio and Mississippi rivers.
The man who died in Hart County was identified by the coroner as Ricky Turner.
Hart County Coroner Anthony Roberts said Turner lived alone and was found dead in his home Friday, a week after family members last saw him.
Roberts said the electric space heater Turner used to heat his home “wasn’t enough.”
“He froze to death,” the coroner said.
Hart County is about 110 miles southwest of Lexington.
Other deaths classified as related to the weather were reported in Fayette County, where 32-year-old Jordyn Daws died of hypothermia Wednesday outside a Lexington home, as well as in Jefferson, Morgan, Whitley, Pulaski, Daviess, Graves, Owen and Livingston counties.
Three people were also reported dead as a result of the storm in separate incidents in Johnson County.
Herald-Leader breaking news reporter Christopher Leach contributed to this report.
This story was originally published January 31, 2026 at 12:08 PM.
