(CNN) — At least 25 people have died in Erie County, New York, following a massive winter storm that ravaged much of the United States in recent days, county officials said on Monday, bringing the death toll across the nation to 47. country.
Updated death toll in Erie County, which includes the city of Buffalo, comes as parts of western New York remain buried in up to four feet of snow, trapping vehicles and cutting power for thousands over the holidays . the region was hit by a historic snowstorm.
“This is a horrific situation,” Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz said at a news conference, noting that officials expect more snow between Monday morning and 1 am Tuesday. “This isn’t helpful because we’re trying to clear and clear roads and get into areas that haven’t been plowed yet,” he said.
While driving bans have been lifted in some communities, one such ban remains in effect in Buffalo, Poloncarz said, describing the city as “impassable in most areas” and that there are abandoned cars, trucks and vehicles scattered everywhere. . “It’s going to take some time to clean them up,” he said.
Rescue and rescue vehicles sent to rescue also got stuck in the snow. Eleven abandoned ambulances were dug up on Sunday, authorities said.
“We had to send specialized rescue teams to go find the rescuers,” Poloncarz told “CNN This Morning” on Monday, adding that it was the worst storm he could remember. “It was just awful, and it was awful for 24 hours straight.”
“We’re used to snow here, we can handle the snow,” he said. “But with the wind, poor visibility and extreme cold, it was some of the worst conditions any of us have ever experienced.”
Many of New York’s weather-related deaths have occurred in Erie County, where some people died from exposure or cardiac events while shoveling or blowing snow, Poloncarz said at the news conference, citing findings from the doctor’s office New York City County Attorney.
The storm drew widespread comparisons to the famous 1977 buffalo blizzard. Poloncarz told Monday’s press conference that “the ferocity of the current storm … was worse than the blizzard of ’77.” And in a press conference Sunday, New York Governor Kathy Hochul called the current storm “the most devastating storm in Buffalo’s long history.”
Hundreds of National Guard troops were deployed to help with the relief effort in New York. State police have been involved in more than 500 rescues as of Sunday, including the delivery of a baby and the case of a man with a 4 percent battery left in his mechanical heart, Hochul said.
“We are still in the midst of this very dangerous and life threatening situation,” Hochul said, urging residents to stay off the streets. “Our state and county plows have been there, non-stop, investing time and putting themselves in danger, driving through blinding snowstorms to clear the streets,” Hochul said.
The winter storm leaves dozens dead across the country
At least 47 deaths have been attributed to dangerous weather since Wednesday, with some residents in the northeast going on holiday without sufficient heating and hot water as extremely cold temperatures persist.
New York—25: People died from the winter storm in Erie County, according to Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz. Another person died in Niagara County, according to the Niagara County Sheriff’s Office.
Colorado — 2: Police reported two climate-related deaths in Colorado Springs.
Wisconsin-1: The Wisconsin State Patrol reported a fatal crash due to winter weather last Thursday.
Tennessee – 1: The Tennessee Department of Health confirmed one death linked to the winter storm on Friday.
Ohio — 9: Four people died in a crash on the Ohio Turnpike Friday “as a result of weather-related auto accidents,” Gov. Mike DeWine said. Four more people died in a weather crash on I-75 on Saturday, the Ohio State Highway Patrol (OSHP) confirmed. Another person was killed in a weather accident in Crawford County, according to OSHP.
Kentucky—3: Three people have died in the state. Gov. Andy Beshear announced two deaths Friday morning. Another death was confirmed in Montgomery County from a traffic accident.
Kansas—3: Three people died in weather-related traffic crashes, the Kansas Highway Patrol told CNN on Friday.
Missouri—1: One person died after his RV skidded off the icy road and into a frozen creek, first responders from the Kansas City Police Department said.
Power outages
Nearly 175,000 U.S. homes and businesses were without power as of 8:30 a.m. ET, many of them in Maine and New York, according to PowerOutage.us. Since the start of the storm, the number of outages has sometimes exceeded one million customers.
A power grid operator in at least 13 states in the eastern half of the country asked customers to conserve energy and set thermostats lower than usual from early Saturday until 10 am Sunday because usage was straining capacity.
The operator, PJM Interconnection, serves approximately 65 million people in whole or in part in Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia. , and warned that blackouts could occur if the load was too heavy.
In New York, utilities Con Edison and Natural Grid US also urged customers to conserve energy, citing extreme weather and increased demand for power on interstate pipelines that carry natural gas into the city.
Meanwhile, electricity shortages in Texas prompted the US Department of Energy to declare an emergency on Friday, allowing the state’s energy supplier to exceed environmental emissions standards until energy use decreases. .
In Jackson, Mississippi, freezing temperatures are hampering efforts to repair a major water mains break on Saturday, causing a loss of water pressure for residents, city officials said.
“We are so grateful to the crews who braved these freezing temperatures on this Christmas Eve night as they work to put pressure back on residents. Their sacrifice does not go unnoticed and is appreciated not only by this administration, but all affected residents as well.” “. , says the statement.
What to expect as the storm slowly weakens and dangerous conditions continue
The powerful system that brought Blizzard and winter weather alerts continues to drift away from the Northeast, but many cities and towns remain covered in thick snow. In the span of 24 hours, Baraga, Michigan received 4 feet of snow, while Watertown, New York received 34 inches.
Grand Rapids, Michigan had the snowiest Christmas Eve ever, receiving a record 10 inches of snow, according to the National Weather Service.
Winter storm warnings remain in effect in New York for Buffalo, Jamestown and Watertown and will expire in the next few days. Forecasts show Jamestown could see another 8 inches of snow, Buffalo could see another 14 inches, and Watertown could see another 3 feet. Winds could also gust up to 40 mph.
Lake Effect Snow Warnings remain north of Jamestown through 10:00 a.m. ET Tuesday, an area where up to 45 inches are possible.
Lingering lake-effect snow blowing downwind from the Great Lakes will slowly become less intense, but the Arctic air that envelops much of the eastern half of the nation will be slow to moderate, according to the National Weather Service. .
The lake-effect snow will continue to create hazardous travel conditions for the next few days and conditions are expected to slowly improve as the week progresses.
The low pressure system is expected to move further into Canada, while another system will rapidly sweep across the northern US through Monday, carrying snow from the northern lowlands into the Midwest.
Much of the rest of the eastern part of the country will remain frozen through Monday before a moderating trend begins on Tuesday, forecasters said.
— Joe Sutton, Isa Kaufman-Geballe, Celina Tebor, Mike Saenz and David J. Lopez of CNN contributed to this report.
