Rise in death toll amid US winter storm
THE death toll from a pre-Christmas blizzard that paralysed the Buffalo area and much of the US has risen to 27 in western New York, authorities said, as the region dug out from one of the worst weather-related disasters in its history.
The dead have been found in their cars, homes and in snowbanks. Some died while shovelling snow.
The storm that walloped much of the US is now blamed for at least 48 deaths nationwide, with rescue and recovery efforts continuing yesterday.
The blizzard roared through western New York on Friday and Saturday, stranding motorists, knocking out power and preventing emergency crews from reaching residents in frigid homes and stuck cars.
Huge snowdrifts nearly covered cars yesterday and there were thousands of houses, some adorned in unlit holiday displays, that have been dark from a lack of power.
The massive storm is expected to claim more lives because it trapped some residents inside houses and knocked out power to tens of thousands of homes and businesses.
Extreme weather stretched from the Great Lakes near Canada to the Rio Grande along the border with Mexico.
About 60% of the US population faced some sort of winter weather advisory or warning, and temperatures plummeted drastically below normal from east of the Rocky Mountains to the Appalachians.
The National Weather Service said on Sunday the frigid arctic air “enveloping much of the eastern half of the US” will move away slowly.
Buffalo saw hurricane-force winds and snow causing whiteout conditions that paralysed emergency response efforts.
New York governor Kathy Hochul said almost every fire engine in the city was stranded on Saturday and she implored people on Sunday to respect an ongoing driving ban in the region.
The National Weather Service said the snow total at the Buffalo Niagara International Airport stood at 43in (1.1 metres) at 7am on Sunday. Officials said the airport would be shut until Tuesday morning.
With snow swirling down untouched and impassable streets, forecasters warned an additional 1ft to 2ft (30 to 60 centimetres) of snow was possible in some areas through early Monday morning amid wind gusts of 40mph.
Police said on Sunday evening that there were two “isolated” instances of looting during the storm.