The extreme cold that gripped the United States for several days was accompanied by heavy snowfalls and high winds, particularly in the Great Lakes region, killing at least fifty people in all countries and devastating road and air transport. These severe weather described as not coming “only once in a generation” it is expected to begin declining Tuesday, Dec. 27, in the East and Midwest.
More than 10,000 flight cancellations in just a few days, chaos at airports and a persistent mess: Southwest Airlines, much more affected than other American companies by the extreme cold wave in the United States, found itself under fire on Tuesday. After canceling about 75% of its flights on Monday, the company cut another 63% on Tuesday morning and warned that only about a third of its planes expected to fly would take off. “in the next days”. Management apologized for a situation they describe as“unacceptable”.
The country’s other major airlines also struggled, with Delta and United canceling 1,835 and 1,257 flights respectively between Thursday and Monday, according to FlightAware. However, as temperatures rose, operations resumed on Tuesday: American Airlines, United, Delta and JetBlue all had cancellation rates of 0% to 2%.
There are fears of a higher toll in Buffalo
Winter Storm Elliott has already killed 28 people in Erie County, which includes the city of Buffalo, New York. A higher toll is to be feared as relief efforts progress and dwindle. “Unfortunately, the police expect this number [de morts] increased “said Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown Chirping.
“We are recovering from one of the worst storms we have ever seen, sadly with the highest death toll we have ever had in a storm”Erie County official Mark Poloncarz said at a news conference Tuesday. “We will never forget it”He added.
In Buffalo, a 22-year-old young woman trapped in snow died in her car, according to her family. A video sent by the victim and posted by her sister shows him rolling out the window of his vehicle, surrounded by snow during the blizzard.
Also in Buffalo, a region accustomed to harsh winters, Zila Santiago and her four young children spent eleven long hours in their car before being rescued, according to the New York Times. Mr Santiago said he called 911, the National Guard and friends to come help him, in vain – even 911 was blocked by snow. So he revved the engine to keep his kids warm and gave them juice from the trunk until a snowplow finally came to their rescue at dawn.
“We have had rescuers who have flown to the aid of other rescuers”Crystal Rodriguez-Dabney, deputy mayor of Buffalo, told CNN Tuesday. “It was necessary to help the emergency services first so that they could go and help the population. »
Driving ban maintained
The driving ban remained in effect Tuesday for the city of Buffalo, a tweeted Marco Poloncarz. “Please stay out of the city of Buffalo. You are hindering compensation efforts”he told the press on Tuesday, warning that conditions remain dangerous.
The US Weather Service, NWS, has warned residents “locally dangerous traffic conditions”. The total of deaths confirmed by the authorities in nine US states is at least fifty. In Ohio, weather-related traffic accidents claimed nine lives, the Ohio State Highway Patrol confirmed to Agence France-Presse.
Rescue teams have evacuated hundreds of people from snow-covered cars and houses without electricity; others could still be stranded by snow, authorities said. Many homes were left without power — up to 1.7 million Saturday in the heart of the storm, according to poweroutage.us.
