Based on its own count, broadcaster NBC even reported 41 deaths, broadcaster ABC at least 39. Rescuers and officials expected the number of victims to rise even further. Over the Christmas weekend, a violent winter storm swept across the United States, wreaking havoc across much of the country.
Temperatures were in the double digits in many regions. With icy winds and violent high-speed falls, the situation was life-threatening in places, especially in the region and around the Great Lakes region of the northeastern United States and on the border with Canada. Hundreds of thousands of homes were without power.
The storm hit the city of Buffalo, located on the shore of Lake Erie in the US state of New York, with all its might. Heavy snowfall and gale-force winds created conditions on the roads where extremely limited visibility can disorient drivers. Many people were trapped in their homes and cars. Sometimes the police and fire brigade could not respond to emergency calls.
In the hard-hit Buffalo region alone, the number of victims rose to 12, according to the New York Times and Washington Post. The oldest victim was 93 years old, the youngest 26. The dead were found in homes and on the streets, Erie County Director Mark Poloncarz said.
(SDA)