At least 61 dead in blizzard
Dby the devastating snowstorm in the United States According to the latest information from the authorities, at least 61 people have died. Two more deaths were reported in the worst-hit county of Erie, New York state, Chief Executive Mark Poloncarz said on Thursday. A total of 39 of the 61 storm victims died in Erie County, most in the city of Buffalo.
According to Poloncarz, 17 of the 39 victims in Erie County were found outdoors, 11 in homes and four in cars. Another four people died while clearing snow. Three people died because the emergency services could not reach them in time.
There were also deaths in other states, such as Ohio in the American Midwest, where nine people died in traffic accidents as a result of the storm.
An arctic cold front with temperatures down to minus 40 degrees Celsius had plunged large parts of the USA into chaos shortly before Christmas. The situation was particularly dramatic in Buffalo and surrounding areas in Erie County.
Because the temperatures are now rising again, the authorities in the state new York last warned of flooding from melting snow. Poloncarz gave the all-clear for Erie County. “It doesn’t look like it’s going to be bad,” he explained. Fortunately, only minimal flooding is to be expected. According to him, all households in the district have electricity again.
