emergencies
Extreme cold rolls over USA: More than 50 dead
Cheektowaga is completely submerged in snow. photo
© John Waller/AP/dpa
Large parts of the USA are covered in snow and exceptionally cold at Christmas. The effects can be felt from the north of the country to the border with Mexico – with sometimes dramatic consequences.
At least 50 people have died in the United States in recent days due to extreme cold and heavy snowfall. In the district of Erie County in the state of New York alone, 27 people died, as Marc Poloncarz, the district manager, said on Twitter. Nationwide, more than 51 people died in connection with Arctic winter storm Elliott, ABC reported. The broadcaster NBC even put the death toll at 56.
“My heart goes out to those who lost loved ones this holiday weekend,” President Joe Biden wrote on Twitter. Kathy Hochul, the governor of the badly affected state of New York, spoke of a “historic snowstorm” and warned of further snowfalls in the city of Buffalo, where dozens of people have already died. “The storm is easing but we’re not over the hill yet,” she wrote on Twitter. She called on people not to take any risks and to stay at home.
“Elliott” had brought meter-high snow, temperatures in the double-digit minus range and hurricane-force winds to large parts of the USA over the Christmas weekend. The region around the Great Lakes in the north-east of the USA and on the border with Canada was particularly affected. Hundreds of thousands of homes were affected by power outages.
The Arctic cold front also messed up the Christmas plans of many travelers: According to the flight data website “FlightAware”, more than 10,000 flights were canceled from Friday to Sunday.