The death toll from a deadly blizzard in Buffalo, New York has risen to 28. At least 62 people have died due to weather-related events across the US.Thousands of people are without power as the storm sweeps across North America.
Vehicles are banned in the city of Buffalo and military police are being brought in to help manage traffic, according to government officials. There have been reports of looting in various parts of the city during the emergency.
Thousands of flights cancelled
Thousands of flights have been canceled due to the blizzard. About 4,800 flights were canceled on Tuesday morning alone. Thousands of passengers are stranded at airports across the country.The situation is expected to improve on Tuesday due to the slight snowfall and the slightly warmer weather. At a news conference Tuesday, officials in New York’s Erie County, which includes the city of Buffalo, said the death toll was expected to rise as search and rescue efforts continued.
In the city of Buffalo alone, the death toll has reached 28. “All the numbers don’t add up,” said Buffalo City Mayor Byron Brown. “We know the death toll in Erie County is high.”
More than 4,000 people were without power in the area after the storm, Brown said. According to him, this is “probably” the worst weather most residents have seen in their lifetime. About 20,000 people were without power during the storm’s peak.Brown said the city’s conditions improved as the snow subsided as officials were able to remove vehicles and restore power.
But officials have warned that if the temperature rises in the area, it may cause more problems like snow melting and flooding.Buffalo City Police Commissioner Joseph Gragmalia said the looting “is still going on.” Four people have been arrested so far.
On Monday, US President Joe Biden approved an emergency declaration providing federal aid to New York state. The neighboring state of New Jersey also provided additional assistance by sending emergency services to New York state.Governor Cathy Hochul, whose home is in Buffalo, described the storm as the worst of the century, saying it would be “like a war zone” when she got there, with cars waving on the side of the road.
New York officials said emergency workers searched cars for survivors and occasionally found bodies inside.Officials say some people have died of heart attacks while shoveling snow.
People in the city of Buffalo are also being warned that excessive snow removal by Savelle could cause backaches and heart attacks. They said that they feel innocent and will never forget the current incident of being trapped in the snow. While New York had the highest death toll, storm-related incidents also claimed lives in Ohio, Missouri, Wisconsin, Kansas and Colorado.
Over the weekend, about 250,000 homes and businesses were left without power supply, and power is coming on slowly. Tens of thousands of people are still without electricity. In neighboring Canada, Ontario, Quebec and British Columbia were also affected by the storm.
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