BUFFALO, NY (AP) — Emergency crews in New York scrambled Monday to rescue stranded residents from what authorities are calling the “blizzard of the century,” a relentless storm that has killed nearly 50 people across the United States. States and has caused chaos on Christmas trips.
Blizzard conditions persist across parts of the Northeast US, the stubborn remnants of a massive spread of extreme weather that has gripped the country for several days, causing widespread power outages, travel delays and at least 49 deaths in nine states, according to official figures.
In New York state, authorities have described ferocious conditions, particularly in Buffalo, with power outages lasting for hours, bodies discovered in vehicles and under snowbanks, and emergency personnel going “vehicle to car” looking for more motorists. , alive or dead.
A group of neighbors gather around a campfire on Culver Road after snow removal in Buffalo, N.Y., Monday, Dec. 26, 2022. (AP)
The perfect storm of ferocious snow showers, howling winds and freezing temperatures forced the cancellation of more than 15,000 US flights in recent days, including more than 3,800 on Monday, according to the Flightaware.com tracking site.
Buffalo, a city in Erie County that is no stranger to bad winter weather, is the epicenter of the crisis, buried under staggering amounts of snow.
“It certainly is the blizzard of the century,” New York Gov. Kathy Hochul told reporters, adding that it was “too early to say that this is over.”
Hochul said some western New York cities were hit with “30 to 40 inches (0.75 to 1 meter) of snow overnight.”
Later Monday, Hochul spoke with President Joe Biden, who has offered the “full force of the federal government” to support New York state, saying he and First Lady Jill Biden are praying for those who have lost loved ones. in the storm, according to a statement. White House statement.
The National Weather Service forecast as much as 14 more inches Monday, on top of the several feet that have already left the city buried in snow, and officials are scrambling to get emergency services back on line.
Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz tweeted Monday afternoon that the blizzard-related death toll had risen to 27 countywide, including 14 people who were found outside and three who were discovered in a car.
Speaking at a news conference earlier in the day, Poloncarz said Erie’s death toll would likely exceed that of the infamous 1977 Buffalo blizzard, when nearly 30 people died.
With more snow forecast and most of Buffalo “impassable”, he joined Hochul in warning residents to take shelter and stay in place.
National Guardsmen and other teams have rescued hundreds of people from snow-covered cars and homes without power, but authorities have said more remain trapped.
Erie County Sheriff John Garcia called the storm “the worst” he has ever seen, with periods of zero visibility and authorities unable to respond to emergency calls.
“It was heartbreaking when you get calls where families are with their children and they say they are freezing,” he told CNN.
Hochul, originally from Buffalo, said she was stunned by what she saw during a reconnaissance tour of the city.
“It’s (like) going to a war zone, and the vehicles on the side of the roads are shocking,” Hochul said, describing drifting eight feet (2.4 meters) against houses, as well as snowplows and rescue vehicles.” buried”. ” in the snow.
“This is a war with mother nature,” he said.
The extreme weather sent freezing temperatures across the 48 contiguous US states over the weekend, including Texas communities along the border with Mexico where some recently arrived immigrants have struggled to find refuge.
At one point on Saturday, nearly 1.7 million customers were without power due to the biting cold, according to tracker poweroutage.us.
That number has dropped substantially, though there were still about 50,000 without power as of noon Monday on the US East Coast.
Due to frozen power substations, some Erie County residents were not expected to get power back until Tuesday, with one substation reportedly buried under 18 feet of snow, a senior county official said.
Buffalo International Airport remains closed through Tuesday and a driving ban remains in effect for the city and much of Erie County.
Icing roads and sweltering conditions have also caused the temporary closure of some of the country’s busiest transportation routes, including part of Interstate 70 that crosses the country.
Drivers have been warned not to hit the roads, even as the nation hit what is typically its busiest time of year for travel.
