Monday December 26, 2022 | 11:46 a.m.
Days ago, an intense winter storm gripped the United States, killing at least 34 people in various parts of the country. In addition, it generated multiple closures of routes and airports after the Christmas weekend.
According to specialists, the magnitude of the storm is almost unprecedented: it ranges from the Great Lakes near Canada to the border with Mexico. In that sense, about 60% of the national population is under some type of weather warning and temperatures are well below normal.
On the other hand, the fierce storm caused more than 1,700 national and international flights to be canceled and left more than a million people without electricity.
The storm unleashed its full fury in Buffalo, where hurricane-force winds and heavy snow crippled emergency services. New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said nearly all of the city’s fire trucks were snowbound Saturday, and officials said the airport would remain closed until Tuesday morning.
The National Weather Service said snowpack at Buffalo-Niagara Airport totaled 43 inches Sunday. In this context, cars covered by almost 2 meters of snow could be observed.
As snow piled up on impassable streets, forecasters warned of the possibility of 12 to 24 inches more snow falling in some areas through Monday morning amid 40 mph wind gusts.
The storm in the United States did not stop at Christmas. At least 34 deaths were reported from the extreme cold, wind and power outages. In eight states there were historical lows in temperatures that reach 48 degrees below zero.#TVPNews | https://t.co/fnEKkuadQ9 pic.twitter.com/kcp9RqU4eF
– Public Television (@TV_Publica) December 26, 2022
Two people died at their homes in Cheektowaga, New York state, because medical personnel failed to arrive in time to treat their health problems. Another person died in Buffalo and four more deaths were confirmed overnight, bringing the total in Erie County to 7. County Administrator Mark Poloncarz warned that the death toll could rise.
“Some people were found in their vehicles, some were found in snowbanks on the street. We know that there are people who have been stranded in their vehicles for more than two days, ”he lamented.
In recent days, deaths associated with the storm have been reported across the country: 12 in Erie County and another in Niagara County, New York; 10 in Ohio, including a power company employee who was electrocuted and victims of various traffic accidents; six drivers in various traffic accidents in Missouri, Kansas and Kentucky; a woman in Vermont who was hit by a tree branch; an apparently homeless man found in freezing Colorado temperatures; and a woman who fell through the ice on a river in Wisconsin.
