About 50 people in nine states have died in what is being called the “blizzard of the century”. The city of Buffalo and surrounding areas in New York state stands out as the worst hit with 27 confirmed deaths.
The authorities describe the weather conditions as brutal with huge amounts of snow and poor visibility making the rescue work difficult. Those who have died have been found in cars, homes and snowdrifts. Some have died while shoveling snow and others when the emergency services could not reach the acutely ill in time.
Like a war zone
State Governor Kathy Hochul, herself from Buffalo, describes the area in and around the city as a war zone. The governor has called in 200 people from the National Guard who, together with the emergency services, rescued hundreds of people in snow-covered cars and in homes without electricity. But authorities say more people are trapped.
Minus 48 degrees
Storm-related deaths are reported from all over the country, including in traffic accidents on icy roads but also people who froze to death in the record cold. Temperatures as low as 48 degrees Celsius have been recorded during the winter storm.
See the latest images from the US storm in the clip above