The death toll from a devastating blizzard that left much of the United States in deep freeze has risen to at least 25 in the hard-hit region of western New York state, authorities said, as tens of thousands remain without power.
During a news conference on Monday, Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz said at least 25 people were killed in a storm that hit the area over the holiday weekend.
The entire county, which includes the city of Buffalo and is home to about 950,000 people, is in a state of emergency, Poloncarz told reporters. He added that Buffalo still has a driving ban because the city is “impassable in most areas.”
“It’s a terrible situation,” he said, explaining that the number of storm-related deaths has increased by 12 overnight, including cases of people who were found in snowpacks or in their cars, or who died of cardiac incidents while plowing or blizzard.
“The ferocity of the storm was worse than the 1977 blizzard,” said Poloncarz, referring to the three-day storm that killed nearly 30 people decades ago.
So far, the medical examiner’s office has confirmed 25 storm-related deaths.
Please note that not all fatalities are related to the storm, but 25 have been officially confirmed.
Again, my deepest, sincere condolences to all who have lost a loved one.
— Mark Poloncarz (@markpoloncarz) December 26, 2022
The weekend storm – which New York Governor Kathy Hochul said would go down in history as the “blizzard of 22” and the “blizzard of the century” – has now been blamed for at least 48 deaths across the United States.
In western New York, the numbing cold coupled with howling winds and heavy “lake-effect” snow – the result of moisture picked up by the freezing air moving over the lake’s warmer waters – created harsh conditions.
The blizzard has stalled drivers, left thousands of people without electricity and made it difficult for rescue teams to reach residents trapped in cars and homes.
Ditjak Ilunga of Gaithersburg, Maryland, was driving his daughters to visit relatives in Hamilton, Ontario, for Christmas Friday when their SUV was stranded in Buffalo, the state’s second largest city.
Unable to get help, they spent hours with the engine running, blown by the wind and nearly buried in snow.
At 4am (09:00 GMT) on Saturday, when their fuel was nearly empty, Ilunga made a desperate decision to risk a howling storm and reach a nearby shelter. He carried his six-year-old daughter Destiny on his back while 16-year-old Cindy hugged her Pomeranian pup as she followed his footprints through the drifts.
“If I stay in this car, I will die here with my children,” recalls Ilunga. He cried as the family walked through the door of the shelter. “This is something I will never forget in my life.”
Tens of thousands of homes and businesses were left without power on Monday as rescue efforts continued. According to PowerOutage.us, fewer than 100,000 customers were without power on Monday at 7am EST (12:00 GMT) – down from a peak of 1.7 million.
The storm contained an arctic frost and winter storm front that had been stretching over most of the United States for days, extending as far south as the Mexican border.
US President Joe Biden warned Americans late last week to heed local warnings and take the storm seriously – which he described as “dangerous and threatening”.
“It’s really very severe weather and extends from Oklahoma all the way to Wyoming and Maine,” Biden said.
On Monday morning, the National Weather Service warned that “lake-effect” snow would persist into the Buffalo, New York area early Tuesday, before easing late Tuesday afternoon.
Hundreds of National Guard soldiers assisted local emergency and state police as crews rescued people trapped in homes and cars, performed health checks, and delivered food and basic necessities.
The Erie County poloncer also said an additional 32 cm (1 ft) of snow could fall on Monday, so residents must stay put.
“It’s not over yet,” he said. “We’re not there.”
This was echoed by Hochul, the governor of New York, who said during a press conference in Buffalo later that day that the situation remained dangerous.
She urged people to stay indoors while crews continued plowing and salting the roads and working to clear the snow from abandoned vehicles.
“This blizzard is one for all eternity. It’s certainly the blizzard of the century,” said Hochul, who told reporters she was stunned by what she saw while reconnaissance in Buffalo.
“It’s [like] going to a war zone, and the vehicles along the sides of the roads are shocking,” the governor said, describing 2.4-meter-high snowdrifts under houses, as well as snow plows and emergency vehicles “buried” in the snow. “It’s a war against mother nature.”
What US city has the most blizzards?
Syracuse, New York: 127.8 inches Syracuse takes the crown as the snowiest city in America, averaging 127.8 inches each winter.
What is the snowiest city in the world? Things to do: Located on the island of Honshu, the city of Aomori holds the title of the snowiest city in the world, and winter is the best time to enjoy seafood (such as scallops) at the Furukawa Fish Market. Read also : Danielle was expected to become a hurricane as it continued to move away from the United States.
What is the snowiest state in the US?
Located in the “Great Northeast” of the country, Vermont is arguably the snowiest state in the US by some distance. With an average snowfall of over 89 inches, the state has even surpassed the 200-inch mark in some snowier years.
What place gets the most blizzards?
The Plains region, which includes North Dakota, South Dakota, and Nebraska, has the highest frequency of blizzards in the United States. This may interest you : US Summer Travel 2022. This stat is due to the readily available amount of cold air that resides here, coupled with the frequent flow of low pressure systems that the area experiences.
What state has the harshest winters?
No, North Dakota is always so cold. In fact, it is the coldest state in the lower 48. Read also : Meet Philadelphia contact writers working on a variety of children’s books. July and August are the only months when it does not snow here.
Which states have the worst winters? Here are the top 10 states with the worst winters:
- Alaska.
- North Dakota.
- Maine.
- South Dakota.
- Wisconsin.
- Idaho.
- Montana.
- Massachusetts.
What are the top 3 coldest states?
| Rank | Country | Average temperature in winter |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alaska | 6.3°F |
| 2 | North Dakota | 10.7°F |
| 3 | Minnesota | 9.4°F |
| 4 | Wyoming | 23.3°F |
Is Blizzard of Souls based on a true story?
Based on a true story, Blizzard of Souls is an adaptation of the novel by Aleksandrs Grins, written in the trenches by the author, a Latvian World War I soldier. His novel is now considered a unique testimony to the events that led to Latvia’s independence.
Is Blizzard of Souls a true story? The biggest Latvian hit of the last 30 years, Blizzard of Souls is a harrowing autobiographical story about a 17-year-old farm boy who was thrown into the trenches of World War I.
Is Blizzard of Souls and the Rifleman the same movie?
Blizzard of Souls (Latvian: DvĘseĘ¼u putenis) or The Rifleman (UK title) is a 2019 Latvian historical drama film directed by Dzintars Dreibergs. It premiered on November 8, 2019 in Latvia and on February 20, 2020 internationally at the European Film Market.
How many children died in the children’s blizzard in 1888?
The Children’s Blizzard is named after the 213 Great Plains children who died in its aftermath. Other names include “Schoolhouse Blizzard” and “Schoolchildren’s Blizzard”. The morning of January 12, 1888, was almost warm by midwestern winter conditions; temperatures were in the mid 40s.
Is the children’s blizzard of 1888 real? The blizzard of January 12, 1888, which became known as the “Children’s Blizzard” because so many children died trying to get home from school, was one of the Midwest’s deadliest winter storms.
How long did the children’s blizzard of 1888 last?
On January 11, the mass race took place at full speed across the United States, covering over 780 miles in 17 hours. When the storm arrived, it caught so many settlers by surprise that newspaper editors in Minnesota, Nebraska, Iowa, and the Dakota Territory estimated that between 250 and 500 people died that weekend.
What happened in the Children’s Blizzard of 1888?
On January 12, 1888, the so-called “schoolchildren’s blizzard” kills 235 people, many of them children walking home from school, in the Northwest Plains region of the United States. The storm came without warning, with some accounts saying the temperature dropped nearly 100 degrees in just 24 hours.
