Thousands of households in the Buffalo area of western New York are still without power, and the death toll is expected to rise sharply in the coming days.
As of the morning of December 26 (local time), four days after the blizzard began, Buffalo, New York, remains partially paralyzed. Thousands of households are still without electricity.
Local authorities have reported 28 deaths due to the blizzard in Buffalo, bringing the total across the United States to 55. More than 100 million Americans have been impacted by the snowstorm.
The National Weather Service has stated that this is the worst blizzard in the country in over 50 years. Buffalo is noted as the area most severely affected, with snow accumulations reaching up to 1.2 meters (4 feet).
A man attempts to dig out snow around his car after being trapped while trying to get home in Buffalo.
In addition to the city of Buffalo, Erie County has also been heavily impacted by the blizzard. The heavy snowfall has isolated many areas during the Christmas holiday.
Hoak’s restaurant is covered in ice from Lake Erie in the town of Hamburg.
Snow blankets a neighborhood in the town of Cheektowaga, Erie County, on December 25.
Much of western New York is buried under thick snow due to the “lake effect” created when cold air moves over the warm waters of the Great Lakes. A frozen car is seen after two days of blizzard winds in the area.
Severe weather phenomena have created fascinating images. (Photo: AP)
According to CNBC, Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz has stated that “most” of the death cases in Buffalo are attributed to heart-related issues. Victims have died from hypothermia while shoveling snow or freezing in their cars.
Heavy snowfall is also hindering rescue teams from reaching victims, with the number of emergency calls increasing by the hour.
The National Weather Service predicts that snow will continue to fall in Erie County in the coming days, with temperatures across the United States expected to drop significantly.
Many Americans decided to leave their cars on the road as the blizzard hit Buffalo.
Some residents of Amherst (Buffalo) shovel snow from in front of their homes after the snow stopped falling on the afternoon of December 26.
U.S. President Joe Biden stated that he spoke on the phone with New York Governor Kathy Hochul, and his administration will provide resources to assist the region in covering the costs of rescue and recovery efforts following the storm.
Roads in Buffalo, Erie County, are still filled with cars, buses, ambulances, tow trucks, and even snowplows buried under towering snowdrifts, complicating efforts to clear the roads and reach stranded individuals in need of medical care.
Buffalo, the second-largest city in New York, located on the shores of Lake Erie, is one of the areas most severely affected by the ongoing snowstorm sweeping across the United States.
