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At least 28 people are now confirmed dead in Erie and Niagara counties, where around 4 feet of snowfall, coupled with hurricane-force, lake-effect wind gusts of up to 80 miles per hour, have paralyzed the region for the third day.
The storm-related death toll in the city of Buffalo is now at 20 people, Buffalo PD spokesman Michael J. DeGeorge said on Monday, Dec. 26.
"Unfortunately, we do expect that number (of deaths) to grow," said Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz, who provided details on some of the newly reported fatalities. They include:
- A 22-year-old woman was found dead in a car in Buffalo.
- Four people were found deceased outside.
- Three who died were from snow shoveling/blowing cardiac events.
- Three died due to delayed EMS response.
As of Monday night, about 50 inches of snowfall had fallen in the Buffalo area, with another 5 to 10 inches possible over the next 24 hours, according to the National Weather Service.
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, herself a resident of Erie County, said her own home was flooded and without power, She labeled the storm "the blizzard of the century."
At one point during the storm, every fire truck in Buffalo was stuck.
“This is one for the ages, and we’re still in the middle of it," Hochul said at a news conference in Erie County on Christmas evening, Sunday, Dec. 25. "We continue to work around the clock with local leaders to respond to this historic storm and are in contact with the White House to secure critical federal assistance to help our communities recover."
Less than a week after the official start of the 2022-23 winter season, the 92.7 of snow that has already fallen in the Buffalo area is not only the most snow to start the winter season through Christmas, but also just 2.7 behind the typical entire seasonal snowfall, according to the National Weather Service.
A travel bans remains in effect in the Buffalo region and the Buffalo Airport will remain closed until at least Tuesday, Dec. 27.
This continues to be a developing story. Check back to Daily Voice for updates.
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