The extreme cold that hits the United States is expected to begin to ease this Tuesday (27) across the East and Midwest, after the worst winter storm of the century killed 49 people in the country and collapsed transportation at the end. of Christmas week.
“Temperatures are expected to moderate across the Midwest and East over the next few days,” the National Weather Service (NWS) said in its latest report released on Tuesday, warning, however, that it would persist “locally dangerous travel conditions”.
“It’s too early to say it’s over,” New York Governor Kathy Hochul told a news conference in Buffalo on Monday. “It is clearly the snowstorm of the century,” she added, speaking in her hometown, the epicenter of the storm.
Authorities described difficult conditions, especially in Buffalo, with power outages lasting hours, people killed in vehicles and under snowbanks, and emergency crews moving from “vehicle to vehicle” in search of survivors.
With squalls of snow, hurricane-force winds and subzero temperatures, the perfect storm has caused more than 15,000 flights to be canceled across the United States in recent days, nearly 4,000 of them on Monday, according to Flightaware.com. .
Hochul spoke with President Joe Biden, who offered “all help from the federal government” to New York State. He also told him that he and the first lady, Jill Biden, are praying for those who lost loved ones in the storm, according to a statement from the White House.
Biden also approved an emergency declaration for the state, the White House said.
The NWS predicted up to 35 centimeters more snow on Monday, on top of the several meters that had already buried the city, as authorities struggled to restore emergency services.
Yesterday afternoon, Erie County Official Mark Poloncarz said on Twitter that the total death toll from the blizzard across the county had risen to 27. Three people were found dead in an automobile, and 14 were discovered outdoors.
At a press conference the same day, Poloncarz noted that the death toll in Erie is expected to surpass that of the 1977 Buffalo storm, when nearly 30 people died.
With more snow forecast and most of Buffalo “impassable,” he joined Hochul in warning residents to take shelter and stay in safe places.
“War zone”
National Guard members and other first responders have rescued hundreds of people from snow-covered cars and homes without power. Authorities say many remain in prison.
“It’s nerve-racking to get calls from families with children who say they’re frozen,” said Erie County Sheriff John Garcia in an interview with CNN.
Despite the perilous conditions, Buffalo police rescued hundreds of people, according to Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown.
Over the weekend, subzero temperatures were recorded in 48 of the country’s 50 states, including communities in Texas and along the border with Mexico, where some migrants struggled to find shelter.
Big power cuts
On Saturday, power outages across the country affected nearly 1.7 million homes, according to the specialist website poweroutage.us.
Blackouts have eased substantially, although as of Monday morning there were still about 50,000 homes without power on the US East Coast.
Buffalo International Airport will remain closed on Tuesday, and a driving ban remains in effect for the city and much of Erie County.
Road ice has also led to the temporary closure of some of the nation’s busiest routes, including Interstate 70, which runs across much of the United States from east to west.
The weather is expected to gradually improve over the course of the week.
