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-Signs, Portents, and the Weather- | |
Savage US blizzard leaves 32 dead, power outages, travel snarls | |
2022-12-27 | |
![]() A crisis situation unfolded in Buffalo, in western New York, where a blizzard left the city marooned, with emergency services unable to reach the worst-hit areas. "It is (like) going to a war zone, and the vehicles along the sides of the roads are shocking," said New York Governor Kathy Hochul, a native of Buffalo, where eight-foot (2.4-meter) snow drifts and power outages have made for life-threatening conditions. Hochul told news hounds Sunday evening that residents were still in the throes of a "very dangerous life-threatening situation" and warned anyone in the area to remain indoors. More than 200,000 people across several eastern states woke up without power on Christmas morning and many more had their holiday travel plans upended, although the five-day-long storm featuring blizzard conditions and ferocious winds showed signs of easing. The extreme weather sent wind chill temperatures in all 48 contiguous US states below freezing over the weekend, stranded holiday travelers with thousands of flights canceled and trapped residents in ice- and snow-encrusted homes. Thirty-two weather-related deaths have been confirmed across nine states, including at least 13 in Erie County where Buffalo is located, with officials warning the number is sure to rise. Officials described historically dangerous conditions in the snow-prone Buffalo region, with hours-long whiteouts and bodies discovered in vehicles and under snow banks as emergency workers struggled to search for those in need of rescue. The city's international airport remains closed until Tuesday and a driving ban remained in effect for all of Erie County. "We now have what'll be talked about not just today but for generations (as) the blizzard of '22," Hochul said, adding that the brutality had surpassed the region's prior landmark snowstorm of 1977 in "intensity, the longevity, the ferocity of the winds." Due to frozen electric substations, some residents were not expected to regain power until Tuesday, with one frozen substation reportedly buried under 18 feet of snow, a senior county official said.
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Posted by:Fred |
#9 Just got a note from a friend out there- he’s out snowshoeing and taking advantage of the situation. |
Posted by: Glenmore 2022-12-27 15:42 |
#8 But looting is still happening. |
Posted by: Deacon Blues 2022-12-27 14:53 |
#7 Buffalo continues digging out. Wednesday temperatures are predicted to top out at 39F, which will speed the process considerably. |
Posted by: trailing wife 2022-12-27 13:41 |
#6 And the fearless leader of the free world goes to the US Virgin Islands for another vacation! |
Posted by: NoMoreBS 2022-12-27 13:08 |
#5 I am still bitter. Al Gore made me promises. I moved to Ohio. I am freezing. |
Posted by: Super Hose 2022-12-27 10:47 |
#4 ^ Most recently vacationing in Portugal |
Posted by: Frank G 2022-12-27 10:45 |
#3 Having a flightmare: Stranded Southwest Airlines passengers in tears after all flights are cancelled from several US airports sparking investigation into 'unacceptable' delays sparked by monster snow storm Where was Pete? |
Posted by: Skidmark 2022-12-27 09:44 |
#2 Now they tell us... Best Anti Gel For Diesel Of 2022 |
Posted by: Skidmark 2022-12-27 09:20 |
#1 Christmas too wintry even for Washington as Revolutionary War reenactment foiled by river rapids, ice |
Posted by: Skidmark 2022-12-27 03:04 |