The authorities raised this Monday to 47 the death toll as a result of the winter storm that hits the United States, the fiercest in decades, and that left tens of thousands of homes without electricity after four days of polar winds that hit the center and east of the country.
The devastating winter storm, which hits much of the eastern United States, caused 47 deaths in nine states of the country, where 25 of the fatalities were only from Erie County, in western New York, the regional government reported Monday. .
“In addition to the 13 confirmed deaths this Sundaythe Erie County Health Department’s Office of the Medical Examiner has confirmed 12 additional deaths, bringing the blizzard total to 25 deaths countywide,” said Erie Chief Executive Officer Mark Poloncarz, at a press conference reported by the AFP news agency.
The scope of the storm is unprecedented, and affects parts of the mid-west and eastern United States, according to CBS.
“Much of the eastern United States will remain frozen through Monday before a moderating trend sets in on Tuesday,” the National Weather Service (NWS) said in its latest advisory.
In Buffalo, western New Yorka snowstorm left the city adrift and emergency services could not reach the most affected areas.
“It’s (like) going to a war zone, and the vehicles on the side of the roads are shocking,” said New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, a native of Buffalo, where snowdrifts of 8 feet and blackouts threaten living conditions.
Hochul told reporters late Sunday that residents were still in the midst of a “very dangerous, life-threatening situation” and warned everyone in the area to stay at home.
“Much of the eastern United States will remain frozen through Monday before a moderating trend is established on Tuesday,” the National Weather Service (NWS) said in its latest advisory.
More than 200,000 people in several eastern states woke up without power on Christmas morning and many more had their holiday travel plans disrupted, though the five-day storm with blizzard conditions and hurricane-force winds showed signs of relief. .
Extreme weather brought freezing temperatures to 48 states over the weekend, it stranded travelers with thousands of canceled flights and trapped residents in houses covered in ice and snow.
In the snow-prone Buffalo region, authorities described historically dangerous conditions, with power outages lasting hours and bodies found inside vehicles and under snowbanks, as emergency workers continue to search for those in need of rescue.
The city’s international airport remains closed until tomorrow and the driving ban remains in effect for all of Erie County.
“Now we have what will be talked about not just today but for generations (like) the blizzard of ’22”Hochul said, adding that the brutality had surpassed the region’s previous historic snowstorm, that of 1977, in the “intensity, duration and ferocity of the winds.”
