STORY: A snowstorm hit the northeastern United States on Sunday. Hundreds of motorists were trapped in upstate New York. The National Guard rolled out to help with the rescue work. Persistent cold and snow drifts made the work difficult. The confirmed death toll from the storm had risen to over a dozen here by Boxing Day. The victims also included some found in their vehicles and snowdrifts, according to an Erie County official. The death toll is expected to continue to rise. New York Gov. Kathy Hochul called it a “historic” weather disaster, adding that US President Joe Biden’s administration had approved her request to declare a federal disaster. According to official figures, around a fifth of the metropolitan area of Buffalo was without power on Sunday.