‘It’s like going to a war zone,’ says New York Storm Governor

The most severe winter storm in decades in the United States, heavy snowfall and freezing cold hit the eastern US on Sunday 25th Christmas, leaving 32 dead and thousands of homes without power.

Extreme weather, snowfall and temperatures as low as -48ºC caused thousands of flights to be canceled and roads impassable at the end of this year.

A crisis situation has arisen in Buffalo, New York, as emergency services were unable to reach the areas most affected by the blizzard. The city suffered hours of power outages, and bodies were found in vehicles and under snowdrifts.

“It’s like entering a war zone,” said New York Governor Kathy Hochul, a native of Buffalo, where the snow reached 2.5 feet and caused power outages. He warned residents tonight that he “still faces a dangerous, life-threatening situation” and urged everyone to stay indoors.

Thirty-two weather-related deaths have been confirmed in nine states, four in Colorado and 12 in New York. The rare-intensity storm has hit the country since Wednesday night. Some deaths occurred on the roads due to frozen asphalt and poor visibility.

Historically Dangerous Conditions

Buffalo International Airport will remain closed until Tuesday (27), and the driving ban will remain in effect throughout Erie County, where the metropolis is located.

Some residents aren’t expected to be back in service until Tuesday, due to frozen electrical substations, and a substation was buried 18 feet of snow, according to a senior county official. According to the National Weather Service (NWS), between 30 and 60 centimeters of snow is expected overnight.

Hundreds of people are stuck in their cars, although a travel ban has been in effect in the region since last Friday (23). To rescue them, Governor Kathy Hochul deployed the National Guard to Erie County and the city of Buffalo, where the emergency services were virtually paralyzed.

“The winds are so strong that the snow is forming dunes. It’s crazy,” said Ali Lawson, 34, who has lived in Buffalo for eight years.

Dark

According to Poweroutage.us, around 1.7 million customers nationwide were left without power over the weekend. That number dropped significantly on Sunday night, but more than 70,000 customers in the Eastern America are still in the dark. Temperatures in the central and eastern United States should return to “seasonal standards by the middle of next week,” according to the NWS.

The storm caused more than 2,400 flight cancellations across the United States on Sunday, in addition to nearly 3,500 the previous day and nearly 6,000 last Friday, according to the website Flightaware.com. Airports where passengers are stranded on Christmas Day include Atlanta, Chicago, Denver, Detroit and New York.

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