Winter storm in New York kills 25 people: Erie County covered with snow

A severe winter storm continues to rage across much of the United States. Severe weather has killed at least 54 people across the country, many of them in New York. In addition, some areas of Western New York were covered with snow, the thickness of the snow cover reaches 43 inches (109 cm), as a result of which some people were stuck in cars covered with snow, thousands of people were left without electricity, writes CNN.

New York Governor Kathy Hochul called the storm "the most destructive storm in Buffalo history." Heavy snowfall and a blizzard made roads in the state impassable due to blockages and zero visibility, froze electrical substations and led to death at least 25 people.

Western New York is covered in thick snow. Even rescue and snowplow trucks get stuck in the region. On December 25, 11 stranded and abandoned ambulances were dug out of the snow, officials said.

“The rescue team was rescuing rescuers…it was so horrendous,” said Mark Polonkartz, chief executive of Erie County, which includes Buffalo. According to him, many of the deaths due to weather conditions occurred in Erie County, some people were found dead in cars and on the street in snowdrifts.

Hundreds of National Guard troops were sent to assist in rescue operations in New York. As of Sunday, state police were involved in more than 500 rescues, including giving birth and helping a man with 4% charge left on his mechanical heart, the governor said.

“We are still struggling with this very life-threatening situation,” Hochul said, urging residents to stay off the roads.

About 500 motorists were trapped in their vehicles stuck in the snow from Friday evening to Saturday morning, according to Poloncarz, who described the frightening conditions on the roads.

Conditions inside the houses are also difficult.

Many New Yorkers have had to sit at home without getting out for the past almost three days, some of them without electricity due to frost. According to Hokul, power line breakdowns are difficult to repair due to a lack of resources and logistical problems - getting to the breakdown sites is extremely difficult due to snow.

As of Sunday evening, 12 homes and businesses were without power in Erie County, and many of them will not have electricity or heat until Tuesday, Polonkartz said.

Snowfall and temperatures as low as 26 degrees Celsius will continue in Buffalo today (December 6), according to the National Weather Service.

The storm led to the death of people not only in New York

This powerful winter storm engulfed much of the United States, resulting in massive power outages and the cancellation of thousands of flights.

As of the morning of December 26, around 65 families across the country were without electricity, according to PowerOutage.US. Jackson, Mississippi, issued a boil water notice Sunday after its water system lost pressure due to line breaks "probably caused by the weather," officials said.

The storm also complicated US travel during the busy holiday weekend, with more than 5000 flights canceled on Friday, more than 3400 on Saturday and more than 3100 flights over Christmas. More than 1500 flights to and from the US had already been canceled by 8:30 am ET Monday, according to flight tracking website FlightAware.

Since the onset of severe weather, deaths have been reported in several states. In addition to deaths in New York, there are deaths in the following regions: Colorado, Kansas, Kentucky, Missouri, Ohio, Tennessee, Wisconsin.

What to expect from the storm

A powerful storm recedes, but many cities and towns remain covered with a thick layer of snow. In 24 hours, Baraga, Michigan received 42,8 inches (109 cm) of snow, while Watertown, New York received 34,2 inches (87 cm).

Winter Storm Warnings are still in effect for New York City for Buffalo, Jamestown and Watertown.