The death toll is rising across Western New York after the Christmas weekend blizzard.
There have been 10 confirmed deaths in the city of Buffalo, three in Amherst, and three in Cheektowaga.
An additional 200 National Guard soldiers were deployed to the Buffalo area. The New York State Thruway remains shut down at Exit 46 to all traffic.
“We continue to work around the clock with local leaders to respond to this historic storm and are in contact with the White House to secure critical federal assistance to help our communities recover,” Governor Hochul said. “I encourage everyone to continue to look after one another, stay off the roads and take precautions to stay safe in your home.”
Vehicles remained stranded around Erie County.
Residents were frustrated by the countywide driving ban, which had been in effect throughout most of the weekend. The blizzard conditions were being created by lake effect snow, which meant the poorest conditions were highly-localized. As the snow receded or tapered off at different points over the weekend – residents felt like they weren’t being given a chance to begin digging out, or help friends and family who were stranded or without power.
The lack of power was another major issue for Erie County residents. Even as temperatures warm-up this week – cleanup will likely take days, if not weeks to complete. And that death toll is expected to continue rising.
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