US ‘Snowstorm of the Century’: Death toll rises to 47 US ‘Snowstorm of the Century’: Death toll rises to 47

US President Joe Biden pledged federal aid to New York Governor Kathy Hochul on Monday. “My heart goes out to those who have lost a loved one,” he said.

Even as the storm’s intensity diminishes, it “remains dangerous to be outside,” Hochul said while visiting the particularly affected city of Buffalo. Another 30 centimeters of fresh snow can be expected.

The western part of New York State, which is actually used to cold and storms, disappeared under meters of snow during the Christmas weekend. Arctic temperatures have prevailed there for the past week. The US weather service still expects severe frost for Monday, and more moderate weather is not expected until Tuesday.

Cars under snowy mountains

The streets of Buffalo were largely blocked by impressive snow masses on Monday. Photos from the city center showed cars parked across the street under mounds of snow.

Erie County’s death toll has risen to 25, and he fears more deaths than Buffalo’s worst-ever winter storm in 1977, when nearly 30 people died, official Mark Poloncarz said. “Please don’t drive unless you are in the emergency services,” he pleaded. “Conditions are bad.” A driving ban remains in force in the west of the district.

“We’re taking people to doctors, nurses and hospitals today,” local sheriff John Garcia told CNN. The winter storm was the “worst” he had ever seen. Sometimes there was no visibility and authorities could not respond to emergency calls. Gradually, the roads become passable again after the wind dies down.

Temporarily cut off from the outside world

Buffalo was temporarily cut off from the outside world over Christmas and emergency services were unable to reach particularly hard-hit areas. Front doors disappeared behind snow drifts up to three meters high and the situation became life-threatening due to power failures at freezing temperatures.

Hochul dispatched about 200 National Guard members to Buffalo and the surrounding area, who rescued hundreds of people from snow-covered cars and homes without electricity. However, according to the authorities, the people were still cut off from the outside world.

In Erie County, several people froze to death in their cars, others were discovered on the road in snowdrifts and others suffered heart attacks while clearing snow, Poloncarz said. He spoke of “probably the worst storm in our lives and in the history of the city”.

International airport closed until Tuesday

Buffalo International Airport would remain closed through Tuesday. Due to frozen substations, some residents can only expect power again on Tuesday.

Extreme weather conditions saw temperatures drop below freezing in a total of 48 states over the weekend.

Widespread power outages, impassable roads and canceled flights thwarted the travel plans of millions of American citizens over Christmas. Chaos reigned at numerous airports. More than 15,000 U.S. flights have been canceled in recent days, and at least 2,600 U.S. flights were canceled again on Monday, according to website Flightaware.com.

A total of 47 people were killed in nine states, nine of them in traffic accidents in Ohio, state authorities said. (sda/afp)