(CNN) — At least 27 people have died in Erie County, New York, as a result of a massive winter storm that ravaged much of the United States in recent days, county officials said Monday, raising the death toll across the board. the country to 49.
The updated death toll in Erie County, which includes the city of Buffalo, comes as parts of western New York remain buried by up to four feet of snow, trapping vehicles and cutting power for thousands over the holidays. Christmas, just a month following the region was hit by a historic snowstorm.
Residents walk through the snow-covered streets in Buffalo, New York, on December 26, 2022. (Credit: Joed Viera / AFP)
President Joe Biden approved the emergency declaration for New York on Monday.
Its decision authorizes the Department of Homeland Security and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) “to coordinate all disaster relief efforts intended to alleviate hardship and suffering caused by the emergency in the local population, and to provide adequate assistance for necessary emergency measures,” the White House said in a statement.
New York Governor Kathy Hochul had officially submitted the request to President Joe Biden for a federal emergency declaration covering Erie and Genesee counties, according to a news release from her office.
“I want to thank everyone at the state and local public safety agencies who stepped up and worked over the holiday weekend,” Governor Hochul said. The declaration “will be crucial in assisting our recovery efforts from this historic storm,” she explained.
“It’s a horrible situation”
“This is a horrible situation,” Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz said at a news conference, noting that officials expect more snow to fall between Monday morning and 1 p.m. Tuesday. “This is not helpful as we are trying to reclaim and clear streets and get into areas that haven’t been plowed yet,” he said.
While driving bans have been lifted in some communities, one such ban remains in effect in Buffalo, Poloncarz said, describing the city as “impassable in most areas” and that there are abandoned cars, trucks and vehicles. scattered everywhere. “It will take time to clean them up,” he said.
Even emergency and recovery vehicles sent to help have gotten stuck in the snow. Eleven abandoned ambulances were dug up on Sunday, authorities said.
“We had to send specialized rescue teams to go find the rescuers,” Poloncarz told “CNN This Morning” on Monday, adding that it was the worst storm he might remember. “It was just horrible, and it was horrible for 24 hours straight.”
“We are used to snow here, we can handle snow,” he said. “But with the wind, poor visibility and extreme cold, it was some of the worst conditions any of us have ever seen.”
Many of New York’s weather-related deaths occurred in Erie County, where some people died from exposure or due to cardiac events while shoveling or blowing snow, Poloncarz said at the news conference, citing findings from the New York City’s office. county medical examiner.
The storm has drawn widespread comparisons to the famous Buffalo blizzard of 1977. Poloncarz said at Monday’s news conference that the “fiercity of the current storm … was worse than the blizzard of ’77.” And at a press conference Sunday, New York Governor Kathy Hochul called the current storm “the most devastating storm in Buffalo’s long history.”
Hundreds of National Guard troops have been deployed to help with rescue efforts in New York. State police had been involved in more than 500 rescues as of Sunday, including the delivery of a baby and the case of a man with a 4% battery left in his mechanical heart, Hochul said.
“We are still in the middle of this very dangerous, life-threatening situation,” Hochul said, urging residents to stay off the roads. “Our state and county plows have been there, non-stop, investing time and putting themselves in harm’s way, driving through blinding snowstorms to clear roads,” Hochul said.
Winter storm leaves dozens dead across the country
At least 47 deaths have been attributed to dangerous weather conditions since Wednesday, with some residents in the northeast spending the holidays without sufficient heat and hot water as bitterly cold temperatures persist.
New York—27: People died as a result of the winter storm in Erie County, according to Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz. One more person died in Niagara County, according to the Niagara County Sheriff’s Office.
Colorado — 2: Police reported two weather-related deaths in Colorado Springs.
Wisconsin — 1: The Wisconsin State Patrol reported a fatal accident due to winter weather last Thursday.
Tennessee — 1: The Tennessee Department of Health confirmed Friday a death related to the winter storm.
Ohio — 9: Four people were killed in a crash on the Ohio Turnpike Friday “as a result of weather-related auto accidents,” Gov. Mike DeWine said. Four other people were killed in a weather-related crash on I-75 on Saturday, the Ohio State Highway Patrol (OSHP) confirmed. One more person was killed in a weather-related accident in Crawford County, according to OSHP.
Kentucky — 3: Three people have died in the state. Gov. Andy Beshear announced two deaths Friday morning. One additional death was confirmed in Montgomery County due to a car accident.
Kansas — 3: Three people have died in weather-related traffic accidents, the Kansas Highway Patrol told CNN on Friday.
Missouri — 1: One person died following their camper skidded off the icy road and into a frozen creek, Kansas City Police Department first responders said.
Power outages
Nearly 175,000 US homes and businesses were without power as of 8:30 a.m. ET, many of them in Maine and New York, according to PowerOutage.us. Since the start of the storm, the number of outages has at times exceeded a million customers.
A power grid operator from at least 13 states in the eastern half of the country asked customers to save energy and set their thermostats lower than usual from early Saturday morning until 10 a.m. Sunday because usage was straining capacity.
The operator, PJM Interconnection, serves some 65 million people in all or part of Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia, and warned that blackouts might occur if the load was excessive.
In New York, utilities Con Edison and Natural Grid US also urged customers to conserve power, citing extreme weather conditions and increased demand for power on the interstate pipelines that carry natural gas to the city.
Meanwhile, electricity shortages in Texas prompted the US Department of Energy on Friday to declare an emergency situation, allowing the state’s power provider to exceed environmental emissions standards until power use declines. .
In Jackson, Mississippi, freezing temperatures are hampering efforts to repair a large water main break late Saturday, causing a loss of water pressure for residents, city officials said.
“We are so grateful to the crews who brave these frigid temperatures on this Christmas Eve night as they work to restore pressure to residents. Their sacrifice does not go unnoticed and is appreciated not only by this administration, but also by all affected residents.” , the statement states.
Snow covers a vehicle on December 24, 2022, in Hamburg, New York. (Photo: John Normile/Getty Images)
What to expect as the storm slowly weakens and hazardous conditions continue
The powerful system that brought blizzard and winter weather warnings continues to move away from the Northeast, but many cities and towns remain covered in thick snow. Over a 24-hour span, Baraga, Michigan received 4 feet of snow, while Watertown, New York received 34 inches.
Grand Rapids, Michigan, had its snowiest Christmas Eve ever, receiving a record 26 centimeters of snow, according to the National Weather Service.
Winter storm warnings remain in effect in New York for Buffalo, Jamestown and Watertown and will expire over the next few days. Forecasts show Jamestown might see another 8 inches of snow, Buffalo might see another 14 inches and Watertown might see another 3 feet. The winds might also gust up to 40 mph.
Lake-effect snow warnings remain north of Jamestown through 10 a.m. ET Tuesday, an area where up to 45 inches is possible.
Persistent lake-effect snow blowing downwind from the Great Lakes will slowly become less intense, but the arctic air that engulfs much of the eastern half of the nation will be slow to moderate, according to the National Weather Service. .
Lake-effect snowfall will continue to create hazardous travel conditions for the next few days and conditions are expected to slowly improve through the week.
The low pressure system is forecast to move farther into Canada, while another system will quickly cross the northern US through Monday, bringing snow from the northern Plains to the Midwest.
Much of the rest of the eastern part of the country will remain frozen until Monday before a moderating trend sets in on Tuesday, forecasters said.
— CNN’s Joe Sutton, Isa Kaufman-Geballe, Celina Tebor, Mike Saenz and David J. Lopez contributed to this report.