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
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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.
South Korean tour group taken in by New York couple after van got stranded in snow
After their passenger van got stranded in the snow, a South Korean tour group on their way to Niagara Falls ended up spending the weekend at the Williamsville, New York, home of Buffalo-area locals Alexander and Andrew Campagna.
The group of ten — seven women and three men— including a honeymooning couple, college students, a young girl and her parents, and the driver — took refuge with the Campagnas on Friday. A well-stocked fridge and fondness for Korean cuisine saw the group able to wait out the storm in the three-bedroom home.
One of the group, Yoseb Choi, 27, told The New York Times: “It was kind of like fate,” remarking on the luck of arriving at the Campagnas’ doorstep with their fully stocked kitchen and unhesitating hospitality.
He said the hosts were “the kindest people I have ever met”.
“We have enjoyed this so much,” Mr Campagna said, calling it a “unique blessing,” and adding that the experience has inspired the couple to plan a visit to South Korea.
“We will never forget this.”
Buffalo Target store shelters dozens from blizzard
Heroic retail workers at a Target store in Buffalo, New York set up an impromptu refuge for citizens stranded by winter storm Elliott over the weekend.
In a series of TikTok videos, Carla Rodriguez chronicled how she and her brother were forced to take shelter in the store while on their way to pick up their mother from hospital, eventually staying there for over 40 hours.
"First night wasn't bad," she wrote on Saturday. "The heat was turned off this morning 'cause the store is supposed to be closed, so they are trying to get it working.
"We've had about five more people come in; they've been in their cars all night.... we are safe though, and people are warming up."
Other videos showed people passing the time with colouring books and a TV set up near the in-store cafe, sleeping on inflatable beds with pillows and blankets set up by the store workers.
According to The Buffalo News, about two dozen people ended up having an impromptu "slumber party" there, with staff busting out portable heaters, snacks, hygiene items, and phone chargers, while handing out hot chocolate from the Starbucks.
"They said, 'anything you need, it's on us. Just let us scan it first'," Jessica Sypniewski told the News. "They deserve to be recognised. They really deserve something for sticking through that entire situation with such a positive attitude...
"People could have died. I truly believe they saved lives."
What is a ‘bomb cyclone’? US facing winter weather warning
An Arctic blast that swept the United States, impacting swathes of the country this holiday season with a miserable mix of dangerous cold, blinding snow squalls and flash freezing.
Forecasters referred to a “bomb cyclone” – but what does this mean?
Louise Boyle explains:
What is a ‘bomb cyclone’? US facing winter weather warning
An Arctic blast is bringing extreme cold, blizzard conditions and high winds to much of the US this week
Biden spoke with New York Governor Hochul on Monday about storm
Per the White House:
President Joseph R Biden, Jr called Governor Kathy Hochul to offer the full force of the Federal government in support of the people of New York as the state grapples with the impacts of a historic winter storm. The President shared that his and the First Lady’s prayers are with the people of New York and all those who lost loved ones. He expressed his gratitude to the Governor for her leadership and to the National Guard, law enforcement, and first responders for their tireless work. The President relayed that he has directed his team to respond immediately to any request the Governor makes for Federal assistance.
Earlier: New York emergency declaration issued by Biden as FEMA called in
President Joe Biden said his prayers were with the victims’ families, and offered federal assistance Monday to the hard-hit state.
On Monday he approved a federal response to the New York disaster and called in the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
The White House released the following statement:
Today, President Joseph R Biden, Jr declared that an emergency exists in the State of New York and ordered Federal assistance to supplement State and local response efforts due to the emergency conditions resulting from a severe winter storm beginning on December 23, 2022, and continuing.
The President’s action authorizes the Department of Homeland Security, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), to coordinate all disaster relief efforts which have the purpose of alleviating the hardship and suffering caused by the emergency on the local population, and to provide appropriate assistance for required emergency measures, authorized under Title V of the Stafford Act, to save lives and to protect property and public health and safety, and to lessen or avert the threat of a catastrophe in the counties of Erie and Genesee.
Specifically, FEMA is authorised to identify, mobilise, and provide at its discretion, equipment and resources necessary to alleviate the impacts of the emergency. Emergency protective measures (Category B), including direct Federal assistance, under the Public Assistance program will be provided at 75 perc ent Federal funding.
Deanne Criswell, Administrator, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Department of Homeland Security, named Lai Sun Yee as the Federal Coordinating Officer for Federal recovery operations in the affected areas.
Buffalo mayor slams ‘lowest of the low’ looters in Buffalo
The chaos of the deadly winter storm as it hit Buffalo has given cover to looters who have struck local businesses knowing any police response would be hampered by the deep snow and dangerous driving conditions.
“I don’t know how these people can even live with themselves, how they can look at themselves in the mirror,” Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown told reporters on Monday.
“They are the lowest of the low,” Mr Brown said of the opportunistic thieves.
“People who are out looting when people are losing their lives in this harsh winter storm is just absolutely reprehensible,” he said.
“They’re not looting foods and medicines, they’re just looting items that they want. So these aren’t even people in distress,” the mayor said. “These are people who are taking advantage of a national disaster and the suffering of many in our community to take what they want.”
The situation reportedly improved throughout Monday as officers were moved back to their regular patrols. Some arrests have been made.
How did people die when the snowstorm hit Buffalo?
The tragic deaths of those in Erie County, which includes the city of Buffalo were cause by a combination of factors relating to the impact of Winter Storm Elliott, including delayed emergency services, cardiac events from shovelling snow, being trapped in vehicles, or exposure to the cold.
Per Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz on Monday evening:
Extreme cold reached deep into US
The extreme cold that slammed the US over the past week reached deep into the southern states not as accustomed to such frigid temperatures.
Video, shared by Instagram user @guthrie.atx, shows a drive-through HEB car wash in Lakeway, a suburb of Austin, Texas, USA.
Lakeway reached low temperatures of 10 Fahrenheit on Friday morning (-12.2 C) and 12 degrees on Saturday morning, according to the National Weather Service.
Southwest Airlines faces scrutiny after cancellations
The US Department of Transportation said it will look into flight cancellations by Southwest Airlines that have left travelers stranded at airports across the country amid an intense winter storm that has killed dozens of people.
Many airlines were forced to cancel flights due to the weather, but Southwest was by far the leader in canceled flights. About 4,000 domestic US flights were cancelled on Monday, according to the tracking website FlightAware, and 2,900 of those were Southwest’s.
Problems at Southwest continued on Tuesday, and the airline warns it will be operating at a reduced scheduled for days.
Other major airlines, including American, United, Delta and JetBlue, suffered cancellations rates of between none and 2 per cent on Tuesday. The cancellation rate at Southwest Airlines was 62 per cent, according to FlightAware, after the airline cancelled more that 70 per cent of its flights Monday.
Southwest spokesman Jay McVay said at a press conference in Houston that cancellations snowballed as storm systems moved across the country, leaving flight crews and planes out of place
“So we’ve been chasing our tails, trying to catch up and get back to normal safely, which is our number one priority as quickly as we could,” he said. “And that’s exactly how we ended up where we are today.”
More than 2,800 more flights had already been canceled in the US as of 7am on Tuesday and problems are likely to carry over at least into Wednesday.
Weather to start warming by Thursday
Meteorologist Bob Oravec of the NWS Weather Prediction Center in Maryland said two more inches of snow would fall in western New York, before the temperature begins to rise.
In and around Buffalo, up to 52 inches of snow fell over four days, according to the National Weather Service (NWS).
“It’ll be warming up soon. By Thursday the high will be 46F (8C). By Saturday it’ll be 54F (12C),” the meteorologist said.
Yesterday remained cold, with a high of 28F (-2C) and a low of 20F (-6C), he said.
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