Driving ban enforced in hard-hit Buffalo

[ad_1]

More snow fell in Buffalo on Tuesday after a historic and brutal winter storm buried the region as officials count fatalities three days following western New York’s deadliest storm in at least two generations.

Already overwhelmed with a mounting death toll, widespread power outages, and a driving ban that’s being enforced by military police, the region braced for up to 2 more inches of snow throughout western New York through Tuesday, the National Weather Service said.

“This is not the end yet,” said Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz, calling the blizzard “the worst storm probably in our lifetime.”

The storm system, which began before Christmas, pounded Buffalo with as much as 49 inches of snow in recent days. Those who died in the blizzard – one of the worst weather-related disasters in the region’s history – were found in cars, homes and snowbanks. Poloncarz confirmed the storm-related death toll in the county at 28 in a news conference Tuesday.

A driving ban remained in effect for the city as of Tuesday, and National Guard military police were sent to manage traffic because many residents are defying the ban, Poloncarz said. Crews were working to clear roads that are still blocked to create pathways for emergency vehicles.

“People just are ignoring the driving ban. I don’t know what to say at this point,” Poloncarz said. “I’m begging: Stay home.”

Conditions across the country weren’t much better with fierce winter conditions trapping people in homes from Maine to Washington state and causing mass flight cancellations, with a mounting death toll across the US of more than 50.

A thaw may be coming Wednesday, along with possible flooding

Some relief is in sight: On Wednesday, a warm front is expected to move across north central New York, raising temperatures above freezing, forecasters say.

Ashton Robinson Cook, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service, said the bomb cyclone – when atmospheric pressure drops very quickly in a strong storm – has weakened. It developed near the Great Lakes, stirring up blizzard conditions.

Some milder air has already made its way into western New York, and temperatures will rise over the next few days into the 40s and possibly even the 50s, according to Tom Kines, senior meteorologist at Accuweather.

“The news is generally good for that entire area over the next several days because it is warming up and there’s no big snowstorms in sight,” Kines told USA TODAY.

Kines said there was a potential risk for minor flooding in the Buffalo area as it thaws but only if the area, which includes Lake Erie, sees more snow. County Emergency Services Commissioner Dan Neaverth Jr. said officials were somewhat concerned over the potential threat.

Flight cancellations mount, Biden vows to hold airlines ‘accountable’

More than 3,000 flights were canceled within, into or out of the U.S. for Tuesday as of about 8 a.m. Eastern time, according to FlightAware.

Flight cancellations by multiple airlines because of the storm have left thousands of travelers stranded at airports across the country.

President Joe Biden said his administration would hold airlines accountable for the mass cancellations and directed travelers to the Department of Transportation to see if they were eligible for compensation. The Department of Transportation said it would examine Southwest Airlines’ cancellations in particular, which accounted for the majority of disruptions.

Airlines could see further problems later in the week as temperatures rise east of the Rocky Mountains and fog becomes a larger factor, Kines said.

“That’s going to be something to watch out for as the week progresses,” he said. “This time around, we won’t have to deal with the snow but the fog could be an issue for those that are traveling.

FLIGHTS ON HOLD:Nearly 2/3 of Southwest Airlines flights are canceled Tuesday. Here’s what travelers should know.

Storm and record cold took a toll across much of the nation

The storm and record cold were felt across much of the nation over the weekend, knocking out power to several hundred thousands of homes and businesses, canceling thousands of flights and leading to a host of other problems.

[ad_2]

Source link

Leave a Comment Cancel reply