As a massive winter storm continues to blast much of the US with brutal winter weather, parts of western New York have been buried under snow.
At least 39 people have died from the wintry weather wreaking havoc across the U.S. over Christmas weekend.As a massive winter storm continues to blast much of the US with brutal winter weather -- leading to at least 37 deaths nationwide -- parts of western New York have been buried by up to 43 inches of snow, leaving vehicles stuck and power out for thousands during the Christmas weekend.
"The rescue team was rescuing rescuers ... it was so horrible," Erie County executive Mark Poloncarz said during a news conference Sunday. Many of New York's weather-related fatalities were in Erie County, where some people were found dead in cars and on the street in snowbanks, he said.Hundreds of National Guard troops have been deployed to help with rescue efforts in New York.
"Think about looking just a few feet in front of you at a sheet of white for more than 24 hours in a row. That's what it was like outside in the worst conditions," he said. "It was continual blizzard and white outs such that no one could see where they were going. Nobody had any idea what was happening."
Still, there were 12,000 homes and businesses in Erie County without power Sunday evening, and many won't have lights and heating back until Tuesday, Poloncarz said. The storm also snarled travel in the US during the busy holiday weekend, with more than 5,000 flights canceled Friday, more than 3,400 flights canceled Saturday and more than 3,100 canceled for Christmas Day. More than 1,300 flights within, into or out of the US have already been canceled by 5 a.m. ET Monday, according to tracking siteSince the brutal weather's arrival, multiple storm-related deaths have been reported across several states.
Missouri: One person died after a caravan slid off an icy road and into a frozen creek, Kansas City police said.
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