*THIS STORY HAS BEEN UPDATED*
Governor Andy Beshear has announced that the death toll from the winter storm has drastically increased. Two deaths had been announced on Tuesday, including a woman in Whitley County. Now that number has jumped to 11.
During his most recent update, the governor provided the age and location of those who have passed away.
“A 70-year-old man in Graves County, a 68-year-old man in Daviess County, a 62-year-old man in Pulaski County, two separate 71-year-old men in Johnson County, a 64-year-old man in Johnson County, a 78-year-old man in Owen County.”
The Governor said the Mayor of Louisville announced a 55-year-old man has died there.
Later Wednesday evening, the Governor announced on social media that a 55-year-old Livingston County man had died as a result of the storm.
The Governor said the state will offer to take care of the expenses for those who died.
“We're also opening the Team Kentucky Storm Relief Fund, where we will offer to pay $10,000 a piece for each of these funerals. First thing we do in Kentucky is grieve together, and we don't want these families to have to wait for reimbursement from FEMA.”
One of those deaths was Marvin Knuckles, an inmate at the Eastern Kentucky Correctional Complex. Officials say he was part of a work crew removing snow and ice when he fell and hit his head. He later died at Appalachian Regional Hospital.
The Kentucky State Police are investigating his death.
*Editor's note...This story was updated to reflect that an additional death had been announced.
