It’s a historic storm which affects nearly three quarters of the American population, since the middle of the week. And it’s not over. “The blizzard of the century” is not over, New York State Governor Kathy Hochul warned Monday, welcoming Monday night to Tuesday that President Joe Biden had triggered a federal declaration of emergency, to release resources. The temperatures felt have already reached up to -55°C in places.
At least 27 people died in Erie County alone in western New York, hit by a historic snowstorm just a month ago. “It’s far too early to say it’s over,” she told a press conference, adding that up to 30cm of snow was still expected to fall in the region.
Even if the intensity of the storm is no longer that of recent days, it is “still dangerous to be outside”, she warned. Western New York, accustomed to cold and storms, was buried over the Christmas weekend under meters of snow, suffering from polar temperatures since last week.
27 dead in Erie County
Sunday night, the death toll in Erie County, which includes Buffalo, was already 13 dead, but it doubled in 24 hours, according to Mark Poloncarz, county official. Some people have been found dead in their cars or outside in snow banks, others have died of cardiac arrest while trying to clear snowdrifts outside their homes. And the balance sheet can only get heavier, suggested Poloncarz. “Unfortunately, they are still recovering bodies,” Buffalo Police Commissioner Joseph Gramaglia told CNN.
“Please, unless you are part of the emergency services, do not drive,” asked Mark Poloncarz, who extended the driving ban in Buffalo, Lackawanna and Cheektowaga. “The conditions are bad,” he insisted, and the rescue services are regularly blocked by people’s vehicles who just wanted to go “see” the snow, and did not know how to drive in these conditions. Eleven abandoned ambulances were found in the snow on Sunday. Rescue teams had to be sent to free colleagues from the grip of snow or road chaos.
Buffalo police have rescued “hundreds” of people, said the city’s mayor, Byron Brown. Power was restored to more than 13,000 homes on Sunday and Monday afternoon less than 10,000 customers were without power, Byron Brown told a news conference, adding that the temperature in his own home had dropped. at 4°C. This Tuesday morning, according to the carte According to Power Outage US, 27,500 homes are still without power in Oregon, 11,500 in California, 7,400 in Washington State, 6,800 in Maine, and 5,600 in New York State.
The total number of deaths confirmed by the authorities across nine US states is at least 51 dead. In Ohio in particular, road accidents linked to these bad weather killed nine people, the Ohio State Highway Patrol confirmed to AFP. In Colorado, one man was found near an electrical transformer – possibly seeking heat, and another in an alley.
“My heart is with those who have lost a loved one,” US President Joe Biden tweeted on Monday, indicating that he spoke on the phone with Governor Kathy Hochul.
As a result of these difficult weather conditions, around 3,800 flights were canceled in the United States on Monday, according to the tracking site. Flightaware.com, after some 11,500 grounded flights on Friday, Saturday and Christmas Sunday. And Buffalo Niagara International Airport, closed since Friday and covered in four feet of snow, is expected to remain closed until late Wednesday morning, the Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority said on Twitter.
VIDEO. Chaos and scenes of panic on snowy roads in the United States
Conditions are expected to improve only gradually as the week progresses. The weather “will continue to cause hazardous travel conditions locally for the next two days,” the US Weather Service (NWS) said in its latest national bulletin.
Up to 40cm expected in Jefferson County
In the region of the city of buffalothe most bruised so far, the local branch of the meteorological service warns of the “lake effect” (Editor’s note: cold air condenses on contact with the warmer and humid zone of the large lakes, this resulting in heavy snowfall) which will continue at least until Tuesday, December 27.
Additional snowfall “6 to 12 inches”, or 15 to 30 cm is expected near Lake Erie and the city of Buffalo. It is even more in Lewis County, where an additional 30 to 60 centimeters of snow are expected, as in Jefferson County. Two counties located in the northwest of the state, where the alert for “winter storm” is maintained until 1 p.m. local time (7 p.m. French time).