The inclement weather kept windy temperatures below freezing over the weekend. (File)
New York:
At least 25 people have been killed in western New York’s Erie County as a result of a devastating winter storm that plunged much of the eastern United States into deep freeze, regional officials said Monday. .
“In addition to the 13 confirmed deaths yesterday, the Erie County Health Department medical examiner’s office confirmed 12 more deaths, bringing the total number of blizzard deaths to 25 per year. countywide,” Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz said at a news conference. .
He warned that with an extra foot (32 cm) of snow on Monday, people need to take shelter and stay in place.
“This is not the end yet,” he said. “We weren’t there.”
The new figure brings the nationwide death toll linked to the multi-day storm to 47 people across nine states.
Severe cold continues to cover much of the country, upsetting the Christmas holiday travel plans of millions.
Severe weather forced the cancellation of more than 15,000 flights in recent days, including at least 1,600 on Monday, according to Flightaware.com.
Western New York, located on the eastern shore of Lake Erie, is accustomed to dealing with some of the country’s worst snowstorms. But this, Poloncarz said, is historical.
He said the final damage could surpass the historic blizzard of 1977, and added, “I am heartbroken about the deaths.”
Poloncarz said the previous blizzard was believed to have caused 29 deaths, but while it lasted for a day, the current storm was more intense.
“It’s a very difficult situation,” he added, with a large number of cars and even buses abandoned along the road, making it difficult for emergency vehicles.
“The city of Buffalo is unstoppable in most areas.”
(Except for the title, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from an aggregated feed.)
Featured video of the day
Another China-made drone recalled near international border in Punjab
