As the death toll rises, a blizzard in the US disrupts travel

BUFFALO: After days of freezing weather caused by “the Blizzard of the Century,” which killed at least 50 people and disrupted Christmas travel, temperatures were expected to rise on Tuesday in the eastern and midwest of the United States.

Notwithstanding, as per a BBC report, the loss of life has ascended to 62.

According to official figures, there were widespread power outages, travel delays, and deaths in nine states as a result of a sprawl of extreme weather that swept across the nation over several days. Blizzard conditions persisted in parts of the northeastern United States.

Authorities in New York state described ferocious conditions, particularly in Buffalo, including hours-long whiteouts, the discovery of bodies in vehicles and beneath snow banks, and emergency personnel going “car to car” in search of survivors.

According to tracking website Flightaware.com, the perfect storm of fierce snow storms, howling winds, and below-freezing temperatures necessitated the cancellation of more than 15,000 US flights in recent days, including nearly 4,000 on Monday.

The epicenter of the crisis is Buffalo, a city in Erie County that has a history of bad winter weather. The city is covered in an astonishing amount of snow, and it is buried there.

New York Governor Kathy Hochul told reporters, “Certainly it is the blizzard of the century,” adding that it was “way too early to say this is at its completion.” According to Hochul, some towns in western New York were blanketed in “30 to 40 inches (0.75-2 meters) of snow overnight.” According to a statement from the White House, Hochul had a conversation with President Joe Biden later on Monday. During their conversation, he stated that he and First Lady Jill Biden were praying for those who had lost loved ones in the storm and offered “the full force of the federal government” to support New York state.

The state’s emergency declaration was also approved by Biden, according to the White House.

The National Weather Service issued a new advisory early on Tuesday that stated, “Temperatures are expected to moderate across the Midwest and the East over the next few days ahead of this system.” However, the agency also stated that “locally hazardous travel conditions” would continue to exist.

Zero visibility

Hundreds of people have been rescued from snow-covered cars and homes without electricity by National Guard members and other teams, but authorities claim that more people are still trapped.

Despite the fact that the country was approaching what is typically its busiest travel season, drivers were being warned not to use the roads.

Source: AFP