Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz said the death toll in the Buffalo area reached 12 on Sunday. By night the number was said to be three. He said some of the dead people were found inside the car and some under the snow. The death toll may rise.
Polankarz said that traffic was banned from last Friday. Still, hundreds of people in Erie County were stranded in their cars over the weekend. The National Guard has been called in for rescue operations. But due to heavy snow and reduced visibility due to storms, the rescue work was complicated.
Pollankarz said on Twitter, ‘None of us expected or imagined such a Christmas. My deepest condolences to the families who have lost their loved ones.’
The National Weather Service says the extent of this blizzard is unprecedented. The blizzard is moving from the Great Lakes near Canada to the Rio Grande on the Mexican border.
The agency says about 60 percent of the U.S. population is under a weather advisory or warning. Temperatures fell well below normal from the Rocky Mountains east to the Appalachians.
John Barnes, a 58-year-old retired officer from North Buffalo, said he and his family were trapped in their home for 36 hours during the storm. He said that the environment is very cold.
John Barnes said, “Nobody’s out.” No one even walks their dogs outside. Nothing can be done for two days.
New York Governor Cathy Hochul told reporters on Sunday that President Joe Biden’s administration has agreed to support his request for a central disaster declaration.
The governor of New York likened the situation to a war zone. He warned everyone to stay indoors.
