Snow continues to fall and the death toll continues to rise in Western New York as one of the most severe winter storms in the region’s recorded history batters residents.
The exact number of those claimed by the storm is unclear. On Sunday night, Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz confirmed that a 22-year-old woman was found dead in a car in Buffalo. Poloncarz said that she made 13 kills. However, the local WIVB reported that the Erie County death toll is at least 18: 11 in Buffalo, three in Cheektowaga and three in Amherst.
Poloncarz noted in his nightly update that he was looking forward to learning more.
The number of storm-related deaths could continue to grow, Poloncarz said during the news conference. “Unfortunately, we expect that number to grow,” he tweeted.
WINTER STORM KILLS AT LEAST 12 IN NEW YORK, WITH MORE DEATHS EXPECTED TO BE ANNOUNCED
Strong wind blows snow across a neighborhood in Buffalo, New York, on Saturday, December 24, 2022. A strong winter storm knocked out power to 1.7 million homes and businesses across the United States on Saturday. Gov. Kathy Hochul said Saturday that Buffalo Niagara International Airport will be closed through Monday morning, some highways will be closed through Christmas Day and nearly all fire trucks in Buffalo are stranded in the snow.
(AP Photo/Carolyn Thompson)
According to the National Weather Service, the temperature in Buffalo was 16 degrees early Monday morning with continued snow. Poloncarz announced that a driving ban remained in effect in Buffalo, Lackawanna, Amherst, Cheektowaga, Clarence, Evans, Hamburg, Orchard Park and West Seneca. He said that starting Monday at 7 am the ban would be lifted in other parts of the county.
“The Thruway and NYS are still closed,” he noted.
BUFFALO, NY, WINTER STORM LEAVES THREE DEAD AS AREA BURIED IN 28 INCHES OF SNOW: ‘LIFE DANGEROUS’
Ice and snow cover a railing along the shoreline of Lake Erie on December 24, 2022 in Hamburg, New York.
(Photo by John Normile/Getty Images)
Power outages have also affected the Empire State during freezing weather. As of Monday morning, National Grid had reported that 13,377 people had been affected by outages, 12,426 of whom were in Erie County.
Poloncarz said the number in Erie County is still significantly lower than Sunday morning, when 26,404 were without power, “so good progress has been made.”
BLAZARD WARNINGS IN EFFECT AS WINTER STORM HIT THE PLAINS, MIDWEST, FORECASTERS RECOMMEND ‘AVOID TRAVEL’
A truck remains stuck in the snow along the shoreline of Lake Erie on December 24, 2022 in Hamburg, New York.
(Photo by John Normile/Getty Images)
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Gov. Kathy Hochul said Sunday that she has been in contact with the White House regarding the storm, seeking “critical federal assistance to help our communities recover.”
