The human cost, already extremely high, could increase in the next few hours. The “blizzard of the century”, which has hit the United States in recent days, has killed at least 50 people across the country. Since then, stories of terrified families stranded by the storm or people killed in their cars have multiplied.
The extreme cold that hit the country was accompanied by heavy snowfall and strong winds, particularly in the Great Lakes region, which caused chaos in ground and air transport and forced the cancellation of thousands of flights around Christmas.
“We will never forget him”
Inclement weather, described as “once in a generation,” is expected to begin abating this Wednesday in the East and Midwest.
Of the 50 missing people, 31 were from Erie County alone, which includes the city of Buffalo, New York. According to the authorities, a greater number of victims there is to be feared, as the relief progresses and clears.
“We’re reeling from one of the worst storms we’ve ever seen, unfortunately with the highest death toll we’ve ever had in a storm,” Erie County Official Mark Poloncarz said at a news conference Tuesday. “We will never forget it,” he added.
Western New York state, although accustomed to harsh winters, suffered particularly, after being buried under meters of snow, suffering from polar temperatures.
A victim trapped in a car.
In Buffalo, a 22-year-old girl, trapped in the snow, died in her car, according to her family. A video sent by the victim and posted by her sister shows him rolling down the window of her vehicle, surrounded by snow during the blizzard.
Buffalo resident Mark Eguliar told AFP he was stuck at work “for more than 40 hours.”
“I’ve been in Buffalo since 1970 (…) and this is the worst I’ve seen in Buffalo,” said Joe Mergl, another resident of this large city near the Canadian border. .
Buffalo Deputy Mayor Crystal Rodriguez-Dabney told CNN Tuesday that “rescuers flew to the aid of other rescuers.”
“It was necessary to first help the lifeguards so they could go help the population,” he explained.
Precisely, some wondered about the city’s response to the announced storm, wondering if the ban on driving should not have been decreed earlier.
“There was a lot of snow, cars were stuck and people were still trying to drive,” Buffalo resident Chris Ortiz told AFP.
An emergency services worker quoted by the Washington Post, herself trapped in her ambulance for 14 hours without food or water, said that “most of the (emergency) calls came from people trapped in their cars.”
“The truth is, those people in stuck vehicles shouldn’t have been there,” the employee said.
Always dangerous conditions
This driving ban remained in effect Tuesday for the city of Buffalo, Mark Poloncarz, the local official, tweeted.
“They are hindering the cleanup efforts” by traveling to Buffalo, he told reporters Tuesday, warning that conditions remained dangerous.
The city police also announced the arrest of eight people by its storm-created anti-looting force.
“These are not people stealing food, medicine or baby diapers,” Buffalo Police Chief Joseph Gramaglia said. “They destroy shops, they steal televisions, sofas, everything they find within their reach,” he added.
On Monday, New York State Governor Kathy Hochul said, “This is clearly the blizzard of the century.” Although the intensity of the storm is no longer what it has been in recent days, “it is still dangerous to be outside,” she warned.
Source: BFM TV
