Winter storm Elliott – latest: Driving ban lifted in Buffalo as blizzard deaths hit 38

Buffalo region worst affected in US with at least 38 deaths after blizzard dumped 50 inches of snow on city

‘Dangerous situation’ in Buffalo as storm kills dozens across US

One of the coldest Christmases in modern memory has left more than 60 people dead across the US, with 38 people killed in and around the city of Buffalo, which was hammered by over 50 inches of snow.

Nearly a week after the extreme blizzard, the driving ban in Buffalo was lifted on Thursday, although motorists have been advised to be careful around snow-removal equipment and at intersections.

“Hundreds of very large pieces of equipment will still be out clearing streets from curb-to-curb,” Erie County executive Mark Poloncarz warned in a tweet.

Earlier on Wednesday, Mr Poloncarz confirmed three additional deaths, marking the deadliest storm in western New York in at least two generations.

National Guard went door to door conducting welfare checks in neighbourhoods that lost electricity. As the city continues to dig out of the storm, the death toll is expected to climb further.

Beyond New York state, winter storm Elliott’s icy bite also saw temperatures plunge to record lows in parts of Montana, Pennsylvania, and Wyoming, and wrought havoc on Christmas travel plans.

Key Points

• Buffalo officials raise death toll to 38
• Buffalo lifts driving ban from midnight
• At least 56 people dead and 20,000 flights affected in winter storm
• PHOTOS: Snow and freezing temperatures hit US
• Mayor slams ‘lowest of the low’ looters in Buffalo

[27 December 2022 16:43 · Oliver O'Connell]

Recap: Buffalo endures blizzard ‘for the ages'

Storm-battered Buffalo braced Tuesday for fresh snow while still counting fatalities and striving to recover from the deadliest storm in western New York in at least two generations.

Eric County Executive Marc Poloncarz confirmed a total of 28 deaths after three additional fatalities were confirmed. some earlier deaths were found not to be storm related.

The National Weather Service predicted that as much as 2 inches (2.5 to 5 centimeters) more snow could fall Tuesday in Erie County, which includes Buffalo. It is the second-largest city in New York, with about 275,000 residents.

[27 December 2022 17:02 · Oliver O'Connell]

Christmas plans disrupted by wave of cancelled flights

The Associated Press reports on one family’s disrupted Christmas plans:

Bryce Burger and his family were supposed to be on a cruise to Mexico departing from San Diego on 24 December, but their flight from Denver was cancelled without warning or notice, he said Tuesday. The flight was rebooked through Burbank, California, but that flight was cancelled while they sat at the gate.

“Just like my kids’ Christmas sucks. It’s horrible,” Mr Burger said by phone from Salt Lake, where the family decided to drive after giving up the cruise.

The family’s luggage is still at the Denver airport and Mr Burger doesn’t know if he can get a refund for the cruise because the flight to California was booked separately.

Mr Burger’s call logs show dozens of unsuccessful attempts to reach Southwest over two days. The company did responded to a tweet he sent. He said they offered him and his family each a $250 voucher.

[27 December 2022 17:30 · Oliver O'Connell]

Daring Christmas Day rescue after small plane crashes into frozen creek in Maryland

A Navy veteran and his Marine son rescued a pilot whose small plane crashed into a frozen creek in Maryland.

The daring rescue unfolded at around 10.30am on the morning after Christmas day when Steve Couchman, 71, took off on a solo flight from Lee Airport near Edgewater, according to Maryland State Police.

Rachel Sharp reports.

[27 December 2022 17:43 · Oliver O'Connell]

Biden: Airlines will be held accountable for cancellations

[27 December 2022 18:00 · Oliver O'Connell]

State and military police to enforce Buffalo driving ban as snow persists

State and military police are being sent to keep people from driving in snow-choked Buffalo, officials said Tuesday as the region kept counting fatalities and strove to recover from its deadliest storm in at least two generations.

County Executive Mark Poloncarz said police would be positioned at entrances to Buffalo and at major intersections to enforce a ban on driving in New York’s second-most populous city.

“Too many people are ignoring the ban,” Mr Poloncarz, a Democrat, said at a news conference. Meanwhile, the prohibition on driving was lifted in suburban areas.

Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown’s office announced seven additional storm-related deaths on Tuesday. That brought the city’s total to 27, along with at least seven suburban fatalities.

The toll surpasses that of the historic Blizzard of 1977, blamed for killing as many as 29 people in a region known for harsh winter weather.

In the Buffalo area, the storm raged through on Friday and Saturday and dropped over 4 feet (1.2 metres) of snow in some places. The winter blast stranded some people in cars for days, shuttered the city’s airport and left some residents shivering without heat.

The area was expecting a bit more snow Tuesday, when the National Weather Service forecast as much as 2 inches (2.5 to 5 centimeters) in Erie County, which includes Buffalo.

Erie County Emergency Services Commissioner Dan Neaverth Jr. said crews are keeping an eye on the forecast for later in the week, when projected warmer weather raises the threat of flooding as the snow melts.

“We are a little bit concerned,” he said.

AP

[27 December 2022 18:15 · Oliver O'Connell]

Deaths recorded from Kansas to Vermont

More than 60 deaths have been recorded across the US, from Kansas to Vermont as a result of the blizzard conditions and intense cold brought about by Winter Storm Elliott.

At least 35 of the dead are in Erie County, New York, home to Buffalo, the state’s second largest city. It is expected that the death toll may rise as streets are cleared and homes are checked.

Buffalo’s airport recorded more than 51 inches of snowfall in total.

[27 December 2022 18:30 · Oliver O'Connell]

Watch: Surreal drone footage of icebound pier and lighthouse in Michigan

[27 December 2022 18:45 · Oliver O'Connell]

Hochul warns against gouging, promises to ease storm’s financial burden on New Yorkers

[27 December 2022 19:00 · Oliver O'Connell]

Looters ransack Buffalo businesses after deadly snowstorm

Looters have ransacked businesses in Buffalo after the city in western New York state was struck by a historic snowstorm that has so far claimed at least 28 lives.

Footage shows local stores with windows smashed and merchandise stolen and ransacked, while one particularly brazen looter appeared to even livestream herself in the middle of the act.

In a press conference on Tuesday, Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown vowed to come down on looters “very aggressively” – hours after he branded the perpetrators the “lowest of the low”.

Rachel Sharp has the latest.

[27 December 2022 19:15 · Oliver O'Connell]

Maintenance worker shot dead in Texas while checking frozen pipes

A Texas maintenance worker was fatally shot after being mistaken for a burglar as he checked on frozen pipes at an apartment complex.

Police say that 53-year-old Cesar Montelongo was shot in Grand Prairie as he looked at waterlines on a balcony in frigid temperatures.

Officials say that the resident thought his apartment was being burgled and shot the victim through the window of the apartment.

Graeme Massie reports.