So far, 30 people have died due to the severe storm in the US and authorities fear that the death toll will rise, reported AP news agency.
The storm named Elliot stretches from the southern parts of Ontario in Canada to the Mexican border. One of the hardest hit areas is the city of Buffalo in New York where seven people have been reported killed as a result of the weather. Several of the dead have been found frozen to death in cars or in snowbanks.
“This will go down in history as Buffalo’s most devastating storm,” New York Governor Kathy Hochul said on Sunday.
Emergency vehicles do not arrive
At least three of the deaths in New York must have occurred due to medical emergencies where emergency services could not arrive due to the storm, reports the New York Times. The masses of snow have made roads impassable and rescue personnel have also been stuck when they went out on an alarm.
– We’ve had to save firefighters, we’ve had to save police and we’ve had to save ambulance personnel, says Mark C. Poloncarz, New York County Sheriff to the New York Times.
1.5 meters of snow
During Sunday, Buffalo was still affected by heavy snowfall and strong winds, the amount of snow is expected to measure around 1.5 meters during Sunday evening. Although conditions appear to be easing somewhat, civil servants and health workers have been called in from vacations to support colleagues who have been working non-stop since the storm’s arrival three days ago.
– This is not the Christmas we wanted. It will be a Christmas we will remember, says Mark C. Poloncarz.
More than 150,000 US homes and businesses were still without power on Sunday, down from the 1.8 million reported early Saturday, according to Reuters.