Western New York is thawing out after a brutal winter storm, but as the snow melted, reports of families who were stuck for days during the "blizzard of the century" emerged.
The death toll in Buffalo, the second-largest city in New York, has increased to 37 as search and rescue personnel continue to remove snow-covered highways.
Roads were restored, and the driving ban that had been placed in Buffalo because of the enormous storm was lifted. However, the effectiveness of the local government's response to the devastating storm is coming under increased scrutiny.
Check out this new footage of the storm aftermath in Buffalo, New York! 🥶 pic.twitter.com/cfLgw1rVTK
— WeatherNation (@WeatherNation) December 30, 2022
At a news conference on Thursday, Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown stated that snow removal on suburban roads, key highways, and Buffalo Niagara International Airport had already resumed operations. However, Brown asked locals to avoid driving if they could.
In order to check on those who had lost electricity, the National Guard was going door to door, and authorities feared that there would be more victims to be discovered. When necessary, officers' personal snowmobiles, trucks, and other equipment were used in the search for victims by Buffalo police as well as officers from other law enforcement agencies.
Commuters and several locals who fled their frigid houses as the temperatures plunged during the violent storm became stranded on roadways and could not be rescued.
This is WILD!!! Buffalo, NY homes encased in ice from the storm. pic.twitter.com/Ied9lAbWsu
— 𝓜 (@tharealmelissa) December 29, 2022
Anndel Taylor, a 22-year-old Buffalo resident, was said to have passed away in her car after being stranded on her way home from work, according to her family.
According to The New York Times, one parent reported spending 11 hours stranded in his car on Buffalo's streets with his four young children before being rescued.
