In the Buffalo New York area the death toll from the recent winter storm has risen to 25. Officials in Erie County, New York, said Monday that at least 25 people have died due to the big winter storm that has recently hit much of the United States. This brings the total number of fatalities caused by the battery to 47.
Even though it has been a month since a historic snowstorm hit the region, the number of fatalities in Erie County, which includes Buffalo, has been updated. This comes as parts of western New York remain buried by up to 43 inches of snow, leaving vehicles stuck and power out for thousands over the Christmas holiday.
Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz told reporters, “This is a catastrophic situation,” as they anticipate 8 to 12 more inches of snow between Monday morning and 1 p.m. Tuesday. In his words, “this is not helpful as we are attempting to recover and clear off streets and go into places that still need to be plowed.
Although driving bans have been lifted in certain regions, Buffalo still has one in effect, according to Poloncarz, who called the city “impassable in most parts” due to the prevalence of abandoned vehicles. Nonetheless, Sheriff John Garcia of Erie County advised CNN that homeowners should stay indoors to ensure emergency vehicles have access to all routes.
As hundreds of snowplow drivers and rescue teams dispersed on Christmas Day, even emergency and recovery vehicles sent out to help have become mired in the snow. On Sunday, authorities reportedly rescued eleven abandoned ambulances.
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Many people are comparing this storm to the one that hit Buffalo in 1977. In a press conference on Monday, Poloncarz described the current storm as having “ferocity… that was worse than the blizzard of ’77.” New York Governor Kathy Hochul also stated Sunday that this was the “most disastrous storm in Buffalo’s long historical history.”
Numerous members of the National Guard have been sent to New York to aid in the search and rescue. By Sunday, state police had assisted in more than 500 rescues, including the delivery of a baby, according to Hochul.
On Monday, Hochul again asked locals to abide by local traffic closures so that authorities could keep plowing, salting, and removing “scores and scores” of abandoned automobiles.
She warned the public that “it is still a dangerous scenario to be out” at a press conference in the afternoon.
Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown claimed at a press conference on Monday afternoon that less than 10,000 people were without power and that he had experienced temperatures as low as 40 degrees in his home. Indeed, we recognize the difficulties many families are experiencing and the frustrations many are encountering.
On Monday, the National Weather Service predicts a high of 23 degrees in Buffalo and a low of 21 degrees at night as snow and bitter weather continue to blanket the city.
New York’s Jefferson and Lewis counties are still under winter storm warnings until Tuesday at 1 p.m. The National Weather Service has predicted that an additional 8-16 inches of snow may fall. A winter weather advisory has been issued for Erie County, where more snowfall of up to 8 inches is possible.
There are fatalities in several states because of the storm.
Shallow temperatures and wind chills have blanketed a considerable portion of the country for the past week thanks to the extended winter storm, which has also caused extensive power outages and thousands of airline cancellations.
More than 5,000 flights were canceled in the United States on Friday due to the storm, 3,400 flights were canceled on Saturday, and 3,100 flights were canceled on Christmas Day.
FlightAware, a flight-tracking website, reports that as of Monday at 4 p.m. ET, about 5,400 flights into or out of US airports have been canceled. According to FlightAware, more than 2,500 Southwest Airlines flights were canceled. An official Southwest statement said the airline was “experiencing difficulties across our network as a result of (the winter storm’s) lingering effects on the totality of our business.”
The Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority tweeted that the Buffalo Airport, which had been closed since Friday due to “hazardous weather conditions” and 43 inches of snow, will stay closed until late Wednesday morning.
Exactly what to anticipate when the storm gradually dissipates.
Even though the power system is already moving away from the Northeast, heavy snowfall has yet to melt in many urban areas. Baraga, Michigan, had 42.8 inches of snow, while Henderson Harbor, New York, received 40.8 inches in two distinct 24-hour periods.
Travel conditions are predicted to remain problematic due to lake-effect snows for the next few days, with some improvement forecast later in the week.
The National Weather Service predicts that the lake-effect snows drifting downwind from the Great Lakes will gradually become less intense but that the Arctic air that has enshrouded much of the country’s eastern half will be slow to lessen.
Another system is expected to swiftly pass the northern US into Monday, delivering snow to the north and the Midwest plains. In contrast, the low-pressure system moves farther away toward Canada.
Forecasters predict that the rest of the eastern United States will remain in a deep freeze through Monday, but temperatures will rise gradually starting Tuesday.