Numerous Fatalities in Buffalo and Across the Country Are Attributed to Winter Storm Elliott

According to county officials, at least 27 people have perished in Erie County, New York, as a result of the severe winter storm that pounded much of the country in recent days, bringing the overall death toll to 49.

A month after the area was battered by a historic snowstorm, the updated death toll in Erie County, which includes the city of Buffalo, comes as parts of western New York continue to be covered by up to 43 inches of snow, leaving thousands of vehicles stranded and without power over the Christmas holiday.

Winter storm death toll rises to 27 in the Buffalo, New York area

(Photo : SETH HERALD/AFP via Getty Images)

Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz described the situation as "horrible," adding that between eight and 12 more inches of snow were forecast to fall between Monday morning and 1 p.m. Tuesday.

As we work to recover, clear streets, and enter areas that haven't yet been plowed, he said, "This is not helpful."

Driving bans have been lifted in some communities, but Buffalo still has one in effect, according to Poloncarz, who also described the city as being "impassable in most areas" and littered with abandoned vehicles.

However, Erie County Sheriff John Garcia urged citizens to remain at home in order to keep the roads clear for emergency vehicles, as per The Weather Channel.

Even the emergency response and recovery vehicles that were dispatched to assist have become stuck in the snow as hundreds of snowplow operators spread out on Christmas.

According to officials, 11 abandoned ambulances were discovered on Sunday.

Many people have compared the storm to Buffalo's infamous blizzard of 1977.

At the news conference on Monday, Poloncarz claimed that the current storm's "ferocity was worse than the blizzard of '77," which claimed 23 lives, 22 of which occurred in Erie County.

On Monday, she asked President Joe Biden to declare federal emergencies in Erie and Genesee counties after calling this storm the "most devastating storm in Buffalo's long storied history" during a press conference on Sunday.

In addition to the many abandoned cars lining the slush-covered streets, homes also have poor conditions.

According to Hochul, some residents have stayed in their homes for more than two days, some without power in the bitter cold, not because of a lack of resources but rather because of the accessibility and mobility issues utility companies must deal with.

However, according to Hochul, as of Sunday night, 94.5% of Erie County residents and 87% of Buffalo residents had their power back.

Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown stated at a news conference that as of Monday, fewer than 10,000 customers were without power.

He also mentioned that his own home's temperature dropped to 40 degrees.

"There is no doubt that we comprehend the difficulties that so many families are experiencing and the frustration that people are feeling."

According to the National Weather Service, Buffalo will continue to experience snowfall and bitterly cold temperatures on Monday, with a high of 23 degrees expected during the day and a low of 21 degrees at night.

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Storm causes fatalities in several states.

The protracted winter storm over the past week has blanketed a sizable portion of the nation with dangerously low temperatures and wind chills, as well as thousands of canceled flights and widespread power outages, as per the BBC.

According to PowerOutage.US, there were about 75,000 power outages nationwide on Monday afternoon, with the majority occurring in Washington state.

Since the storm's beginning, there have occasionally been more than a million customers without power.

Not just electricity was impacted; Jackson, Mississippi, issued a boil water notice on Sunday after line breaks "likely caused by the weather" caused its water system to lose pressure.

The city, which just two months ago overcame a different protracted water crisis, provided water to residents all day on Christmas.

Over 5,000 flights were canceled on Friday, over 3,400 flights were canceled on Saturday, and over 3,100 flights were canceled on Christmas Day due to the storm, which also hampered travel in the US over the busy holiday weekend.

As of 4 p.m., approximately 3,700 flights into or out of US airports have been canceled. ET on Monday, according to flight monitoring service FlightAware.

According to FlightAware, the total includes more than 2,500 Southwest Airlines cancellations.

In a statement, Southwest said: "With a string of days of extreme winter weather across our network behind us, ongoing challenges are having an unacceptably large negative impact on our Customers and Employees."

Separately, the Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority announced on Twitter that the Buffalo Niagara International Airport, which closed Friday due to "hazardous weather conditions" and received 43 inches of snow, is anticipated to remain closed until late Wednesday morning.

Due to the closure, the Buffalo Sabres' NHL game in Columbus will be postponed, according to Sabres officials, as the team cannot fly to Ohio.

While the strong system keeps moving away from the Northeast, many cities and towns are still completely covered in snow.

Baraga, Michigan, and Henderson Harbor, New York, each received 40.8 inches of snow over separate 24-hour periods.

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