US winter storm death toll rises to 34
US winter storm death toll rises to 34. More people have died in the US state of New York as a result of a severe winter storm that hit North America, according to local authorities.
Erie County, which contains city Buffalo, has seen at least 34 fatalities, according to county executive Mark Poloncarz on Wednesday.
Three of the victims’ identities are still being sought by authorities. At least 60 people have died as a result of the storm that blasted over the US over the holiday weekend in eight states.
There have now been more fatalities in Erie County in the last few days than during the infamous Buffalo blizzard of 1977. Twenty-nine people died in that storm, according to the National Weather Service.
“It’s a horrible storm with too many deaths,” Mr Poloncarz said during a press conference on Wednesday morning.
But conditions in some of the hardest-hit regions in the US including New York are starting to improve.
“In Erie County, fewer than 1,000 households are now without power, and 95% of residents should have power restored by the end of the day”, Mr Poloncarz said.
“The city of Buffalo – which got more than four feet (1.2m) of snow – has made progress clearing roads, county officials said. At least 65% of city streets have at least one lane available for passage, though a driving ban remains in effect due to dangerous conditions”, Mr Poloncarz further added.
According to the airport’s website, the local Buffalo Niagara International Airport reopened at 11:00 local time (16:00 GMT) on Sunday after closing last Friday. However, nearly all of the day’s scheduled departing flights were cancelled or delayed.
The limited schedule for the rail service in Buffalo has been reinstated.
Since authorities are “fearful” that some people living alone may have died during the storm, the US National Guard is conducting wellness checks door to door in communities in the county that lost power, according to Mr. Poloncarz.
The county is currently preparing for the prospect of flooding, the county executive added, as temperatures are rising and snow is starting to melt.
Residents in other parts of the US and Canada are still coping with the aftermath of the terrible winter storm as well as the effects of new hazardous weather systems that have resulted in additional fatalities.
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