At least 37 people have died as a result of the severe winter storm that hit most of the US this past week, leaving hundreds of thousands without electricity on Christmas morning. It also brought heavy snowfall, strong winds, and extreme cold.
The area around Buffalo, New York, where 43 inches of snow had fallen as of Sunday morning, may have suffered the most damage. More than a dozen individuals died as a result of the heavy snowfall, blizzard conditions, and frozen power substations, according to Erie County officials.
On Sunday, the weather improved just enough for first responders to go and evaluate the situation.
Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz stated on Sunday, “I don’t want to claim that this is about to be it because it would be a lie for me to say that since we understand that there are individuals who have been trapped in cars for more than 2 days.” “There are people in homes with temps below zero.”
Due to its strength and duration, New York Governor Kathy Hochul referred to it as the “most disastrous storm in Buffalo’s long storied history.”
Hochul told CNN’s Paula Reid on Sunday that the situation was “of epic proportions.”
This winter storm destroyed Christmas preparations during the last week by bringing dangerously low temperatures, heavy snowfall, and coastal flooding to the majority of the US.
On Sunday morning, wind chill warnings were in effect for over 55 million people, and frost warnings are in place throughout the South.
