Door-to-door checks by the National Guard – Weather conditions begin to improve – At least 60 dead in eight states – Power restored to households – Flood fears
The death toll from the “bomb” blizzard that hit at least eight US states in the last 24 hours is growing. According to the latest count, in the state of New York, where Buffalo is also located, 34 deaths have been recorded due to the bad weather, while the total number of dead exceeds 60.
As reported by the US media, the deaths in Erie County in recent days are more than the infamous Buffalo blizzard in 1977, when 29 people lost their lives.
However, conditions in some of the hardest-hit areas of the US – including New York – are starting to improve.
Power is restored to homes and businesses
In Erie County, fewer than 1,000 households are now without power, and 95% of residents should have power restored by the end of the day.
The city of Buffalo has made progress cleaning up the streets, county officials said. At least 65% of the city’s roads have at least one lane available for passing, although a driving ban remains in place due to hazardous conditions.
And the local Buffalo Niagara International Airport reopened at 11:00 local time (16:00 GMT) after being closed last Friday, while the city’s rail service is back on a limited schedule.
The national guard door-to-door
The U.S. National Guard is going door-to-door in neighborhoods in the county that lost power to do well-being checks, as officials fear some who lived alone may have been lost during the storm.
The problems and dangers, however, are not over. As temperatures rise, the possibility of flooding is what has American authorities on alert.
Fear of flooding
The “deep and fast-moving storm system” could cause flash flooding and thunderstorms and is expected to “remain into next weekend,” according to the Weather Prediction Center.
The system has already caused flooding in the western states of Washington and Oregon, where more than 80,000 homes and businesses were without power as of Wednesday morning, according to the PowerOutage.us outage tracker.
In Olympia, the capital of Washington state, a tidal wave of 5.6 meters was recorded, bringing the sea literally into the streets of the city, according to officials.
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With a wealth of experience honed over 4+ years in journalism, I bring a seasoned voice to the world of news. Currently, I work as a freelance writer and editor, always seeking new opportunities to tell compelling stories in the field of world news.
