Washington, Dec. 26 (BNA): The death toll from a snow storm in the Buffalo region has risen to 27 in western New York, authorities said today, while the region was hit by one of the worst weather-related disasters in its history. Large parts of the rest of the United States have been exposed to harsh winter conditions.
The dead were found around Buffalo in their cars and homes and in snowbanks. Some died while shoveling snow, reports the Associated Press.
The storm that swept through much of the country is now being blamed for killing at least 49 people across the country, with rescue and recovery efforts continuing Monday.
Erie County Executive Mark Poloncars called the blizzard “likely the worst of our lives” and warned that more deaths were likely. He pointed out that some people were stranded in their cars for more than two days.
Scientists said global warming may have contributed to the intensity of the storm.
That’s because the atmosphere can hold more water vapor, which acts as a fuel, said Mark Serrez, director of the National Ice and Snow Data Center at the University of Colorado, Boulder.
The National Weather Service said Monday that up to 9 more inches of snow could fall in some areas through Tuesday.
Severe weather stretched from the Great Lakes near Canada to the Rio Grande along the border with Mexico.
About 60% of the US population has experienced some type of winter weather warning or warning, and temperatures have fallen significantly below normal from the eastern Rocky Mountains to the Appalachians.
About 2,085 domestic and international flights have been canceled Monday as of noon EST, according to tracking website FlightAware.
Southwest Airlines has made 1,253 cancellations, nearly a third of its scheduled flights and about five times as many as any other major US carrier, the site said.
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