The death toll claimed by the "blizzard of the century" that has held parts of the United States in its fatal grip since before Christmas has soared, with 37 people having died in Erie County, which includes the city of Buffalo. As the freezing temperatures of the past few days slowly give way to warmer weather melting the thick covering of snow, more frozen bodies are expected to be found.
The National Guard, sent in to help with recovery efforts, has been sweeping parts of Buffalo as authorities fear many victims may have been trapped in their snowed-in homes. More than 600 National Guard members have been sent to western New York, according to officials.
“We are fearful that there are individuals who may have perished, living alone, or people who are not doing well,” Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz told a press conference.
Some people collapsed while waiting in vain for emergency teams to reach them. Bodies have been discovered in cars, after drivers ventured out into the raging blizzard disregarding the driving ban. There have been fatalities reported after desperate residents went into cardiac arrest while shoveling snow.
National Grid technicians work in Buffalo, New York, on December 26, 2022, amid "blizzard of the century."
© AFP 2023 / JOED VIERA
The county on the shore of Lake Erie in western New York State has been hit particularly hard by the snowstorm, with the fatalities there now exceeding the toll from the notorious Buffalo blizzard of 1977, which claimed 29 lives.
"It's a horrible storm with too many deaths," Poloncarz said at a press conference on 28 December.
Overall across the United States, there have been reports of around 62 blizzard-related deaths.
An abandoned car on Elmwood Avenue in Buffalo, New York on December 28, 2022.
© AFP 2023 / JOED VIERA
According to Buffalo Police Commissioner Joseph Gramaglia, officers have been searching for victims often using their own personal snowmobiles and trucks.
As questions were raised about the response to the snowstorm, local officials dismissed criticism and praised the efforts of first responders.
“The city did everything that it could under historic blizzard conditions,” Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown said at a news conference.
A massive effort is also underway now to clear storm drains as melting snow and forecasts of rain have raised the possibility of flooding, according to the National Weather Service.