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

[28 December 2022 09:30 · Alisha Rahaman Sarkar]

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 30 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.

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 more.

[28 December 2022 10:02 · Rachel Sharp]

Death toll in Erie County rises to 31

The death toll from the winter storm has now risen to 31 in Erie County, upstate New York.

Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz tweeted late on Tuesday that three additional deaths had been confirmed.

In total, the deaths include:

• 1 death from an EMS delay
• 17 people who were found dead outside
• 3 people who died from cardiac events while shoveling or blowing snow
• 7 deaths due to no heat
• 3 people found dead in a vehicle

The death toll had been confirmed at 28 earlier on Tuesday.

Officials expect the number of victims to rise as snow is cleared.

[28 December 2022 10:30 · Alisha Rahaman Sarkar]

NFL players dig cars out of snow

Buffalo Bills football players were forced to dig their vehicles out of deep snow after arriving back in New York amid an unprecedented winter storm.

The NFL continued over Christmas - despite extreme weather across the US - and Buffalo secured an impressive 35-13 win at the Chicago Bears on Christmas Eve.

Safety Damar Hamlin took to social media to share the crazy scenario, which saw a number of players and staff attempting to dig their cars out of the deep snow.

[28 December 2022 11:22 · Io Dodds]

Southwest boss Bob Jordan apologises

Southwest Airlines chief executive Bob Jordan has apologised for the chaos his customers and workers have suffered.

In a video posted by the airline on Twitter on Tuesday night, Mr Jordan said: "I want everyone who is dealing with the problems we’ve been facing – whether you haven’t been able to get where you need to go, or you’re one of our heroic employees caught up in a massive effort to stabilise the airline – to know that we’re doing everything we can to return to a normal operation.

"And please also hear that I’m truly sorry."

[28 December 2022 12:30 · Alisha Rahaman Sarkar]

Thousands of flights cancelled across US

Thousands of travellers were stranded at airports after nearly 20,000 flights were cancelled over the Christmas holiday due to the extreme weather.

Southwest Airline canceled more than 2,900 flights on Monday and scrapped about 2,500 each day for the next two days.

The domestic-focused carrier said it could take days to fully restore normal operations.

“This is the worst round of cancellations for any single airline I can recall in a career of more than 20 years as an industry analyst,” Henry Harteveldt, who covers airlines for Atmosphere Research Group, told The New York Times.

[28 December 2022 14:23 · Io Dodds]

Warmer weather is coming, say forecasters

The US National Weather Service (NWS) says that warmer weather is on the way starting today.

In a tweet sent this morning, the agency said that eastern US states are likely to see temperatures around 40-45 degrees Fahrenheit on Wednesday, with "many locations" reaching 50 degrees by Friday.

We’re expecting a press conference by authorities in Erie County, New York at 10am EST.

[28 December 2022 15:00 · Io Dodds]

New York officials due to give press conference

Officials in Erie County, New York, which includes the city of Buffalo, are about to give a press conference. We’ll bring you more updates as soon as we have them.

[28 December 2022 15:14 · Io Dodds]

‘We are fearful that individuals may have perished living alone'

The New York National Guard will be going door to door in Buffalo and the surrounding Erie County to check on people who lost power during the storm, officials say.

County government head Mark Poloncarz said at a press conference just now that every residents in neighbourhoods that suffered outages should expect to get a wellness check from the soldiers.

"We are fearful that there are individuals who may have perished living alone, or two people who are not doing well in an establishment," said Mr Poloncarz.

He also said every person who called the county's 858-SNOW emergency phone line will get a call back, and emergency services teams will check on the welfare of everyone who called 911 but couldn't be reached during the blizzard.

[28 December 2022 15:31 · Io Dodds]

Official was 'nearly killed' by dangerous driving

The number of power outages in Erie County is now fewer than 1,000, says Mark Poloncarz.

Grid operators have said they believe they can resolve 95 per cent of those outages by the end of today (Wednesday), he added.

A county traffic official said workers are "working round the clock" to clear blocked roads, and expect to have at least two lanes open on all major arterial routes by 7pm.

But the county's driving ban remains in place, except in cases of emergency travel, and Mr Poloncarz recounted a story of nearly being struck and killed by a car driving through the blizzard without any lights on.

"I just – I don't understand it anymore," he lamented. "I don't understand why people put themselves and others in risky situations. Those are the things that we're dealing with."

He reassured residents that military police called in to help with traffic control would not be ticketing anyone.

[28 December 2022 15:45 · Io Dodds]

Buffalo death toll rises to 34

The death toll in Buffalo, New York and Erie County has risen to 34, says county executive Mark Poloncarz.

He told reporters that 26 of those were found in the city of Buffalo, with seven more recovered from the suburbs and one from an unknown location.

“We unfortunately have to say that of the 34, there are two John Does and one Jane Does,” said Mr Poloncarz, meaning that the bodies could not be identified.

“If you have a loved one that you know is missing, please contact your local police department to help us identify these three individuals.”