Once-In-A-Lifetime Blizzard Claims At Least 27 Lives In Western New York

Another blizzard similar to the 1977 one has recently paralyzed the entire New York over the Christmas weekend, killing more than 27 people in western New York. The number of deaths is expected to grow as the snowfall continues to fall more than four feet, covering a snow blanket over Buffalo and Erie counties since the blizzard took its shape back on Friday, leaving the roads inaccessible for transportation. The huge snow drifts have plummeted the temperature nationwide, forcing people to inhabit indoors.

The death toll further spiked from 13th on Sunday to 27 in buffalo and the rest of western New york. The fatalities included people who died from cardiac arrests while plowing the snow, and cases of people trapped in their cars in snow banks, according to county executive Mark Poloncraz. The medical examiner of Erie county revealed that all these fatalities are directly related to the blizzard.

“Epic, Once In A Lifetime” Weather Disaster: New York Governor

The county advised avoiding shoveling heavy and wet snow as it can cause back injuries and cardiac stress. He exaggerated that this is not the end of this snowfall. As the blizzard hit the entire western New York, the governor called it an “epic, once in a lifetime” weather disaster.

A once-in-a-lifetime blizzard has stretched over the great lakes near Canada to Rio grande, along the Mexican border. As of now the hardest hit is witnessed in the buffalo region and lake in Erie county near the Canadian border. In Buffalo alone, 18 fatalities have emerged according to mayor Byron brown. The ferocity of the storm in western New York is unlike any other region. As estimated with this continued snowfall, a band of heavy lake-effect snow in the buffalo area could rise further 6 to 12 inches more.

The lake effect is caused when cold air passes over the warmer lake water, converting the moisture and warmth to the lower parts of the atmosphere, thus air forms clouds resulting in extreme snow.

On Monday morning the region around buffalo airport witnessed nearly 50 inches of snow. The blinding winds caused for more than two days, kept the snow coming down, with a further surge of 30 cm more in the forecast throughout Tuesday in the south of buffalo and north of the Syracuse

The entire road of the state is stranded with cars, buses, and ambulances. The tow trucks and plows were buried under the snow beds, further complicating the efforts to clear up the snow-blanketed roads and provide assistance to the individuals in need of medical assistance. Despite the ban on personal road travel due to heavy snowfall, hundreds of bikers and motorists had to be rescued from their trapped motor vehicles over the Christmas weekend.

The opening of grocery stores around the town has provided some relief for the residents as the supplements would run out sooner, and residents of the town had to struggle with their feet over the few inches of snow beds to reach the store.

The local authorities and the New York governor Kathy Hochul has ranked his blizzard as the worst storm in the buffalo area since 1977 which nearly killed 30 of the town’s residents.

>Related: The Crippling Lake Effect Is Expected To Cause Feet Of Snow In Western New York! 

The United States president has issued a federal emergency over New York, to authorize the U.S. government to assist in clearing out the roads and providing medical care for the affected. As it would bolster the state’s recovery. In a tweet, Biden expressed his condolences to the lost ones and he added that his heart is with those who have lost their loved ones during this holiday weekend.

The state county Poloncraz said that many emergency rescues are trapped in the snow, and a special team is required “to rescue the rescuers”. He pleaded with the citizens to avoid driving on the cleared roads to free the traffic, as it is genuinely required for emergency and utility works. He assured me that it might take some more time to clear the snow off the roads, as cars have been stranded everywhere in the town, and they needed to be plowed in and dug out before it was towed.