Published: Less than 10 min ago
For eleven long hours, Zila Santiago sat snowbound in the minibus with her four children.
While they were watching Disney’s “Frost,” the desperate father called everyone he could think of — 911, the National Guard, friends and acquaintances.
But no one came.
The historic winter storm continues to wreak havoc across North America.
According to the latest official figures, 55 people have died in the storm, write NBC News on Monday night.
The area of Erie County in New York, where the city of Buffalo is located, is worst affected. There alone, 25 people have died.
– It’s like stepping into a war zone. It’s shocking with all the vehicles that are on the roads, New York Governor Kathy Hochul said at a press conference on Boxing Day.
Plow truck found the family covered in snow
Christmas Eve could have ended in tragedy for a single father and his four children in Buffalo.
Zila Santiago, 30, tells New York Times why he defied the current driving ban – he couldn’t afford to leave the children with the babysitter overnight.
– I was simply in despair.
But the family was overpowered by the harsh weather. Their minibus got stuck in a snowdrift while the storm raged outside.
In the tailgate there was juice and Zila Santiago burned gas to keep the children warm. While they were playing games and watching movies on the small TV in the car, the father’s phone overheated.
But finding someone who could come to the rescue was impossible – many rescue vehicles were themselves stuck in snowdrifts.
It wasn’t until 05:00 on Christmas morning that the family was miraculously saved by a passing plow truck.
– I’ve been through severe storms before. But this is something I have never experienced in my entire life.
“Rescue personnel are saved”
The family was lucky. Several of the dead have frozen to death in their cars. Others have died in major traffic accidents.
According to The Guardian two sick people also died in their home in a suburb of Buffalo, because paramedics could not arrive in time to treat them.
Majority Leader Mark Ploncarz said at a news conference Monday that he can’t remember a worse snowstorm. At one point, all the fire trucks in Buffalo were stuck, and eleven ambulances had to be dug out of the meter-deep snow.
– The rescue team saved those who are supposed to save others… it was so terrible. When the rescuers need to be rescued, I’m not sure what we could have done differently.
Relieves on Tuesday – but not over yet
The historic storm, with arctic ice and temperatures of up to minus 48 degrees, affects the entire country.
On Monday, 75,000 households in the United States were without power. 11,500 flights have been canceled during the busy Christmas holiday.
And it’s not over yet.
In Erie County, another 20-30 centimeters of snow is expected to fall until Tuesday afternoon, local time. Elsewhere in New York state, as much as 40 centimeters could fall.
The driving ban has been lifted in some places, but in Buffalo the order remains. The city is described as “impassable” – and abandoned vehicles are everywhere on the roads.
Many are already worried about what rescuers will face when the snow melts, and homes far out in the countryside can be reached.
– We can see a kind of light at the end of the tunnel, but we are not there yet, says Poloncarz.