Death toll from winter storm reaches 50 amid freezing temperatures: Report

Misty Severi

December 26, 09:36 AM December 26, 09:36 AM

More than 50 people have died from extreme temperatures as of Monday morning after a majority of the United States faced freezing temperatures and heavy snow from a large winter storm.

The deaths during the "bomb cyclone" were recorded in at least 12 states, including Colorado, Illinois, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Missouri, Nebraska, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Tennessee, and Wisconsin, according to NBC News.

THESE ARE THE STATES FACING POWER OUTAGES THIS CHRISTMAS EVE

The Buffalo, New York, area was hit the hardest over the weekend, with a "band of heavy lake effect snow" producing two to three inches of snow every hour, with as much as six to 12 inches of snow accumulated. Jefferson and Lewis counties accumulated as much as one to two feet of snow, according to the National Weather Service.

The death toll in Buffalo was 14 as of Monday morning, a Buffalo spokesperson told NBC. The Buffalo police confirmed that at least 10 of them had died outside or in their cars, according to the outlet.

At least 15,000 people in the Buffalo National Grid are without electricity as well, according to Gov. Kathy Hochul (D-NY). Restoring the power might be delayed until Tuesday because of the harsh conditions and limited travel ability. However, thousands of utility forces have been deployed to deal with emergency situations.

Hazardous conditions are expected to continue in the next few days, according to the National Weather Service. It is expected to ease around the new year.

“The life-threatening cold temperatures, and in combination with dangerous wind chills, will create a potentially life-threatening hazard for travelers that become stranded, individuals that work outside, livestock, and domestic pets,” the National Weather Service said.

More than 1,586 flights have been canceled by Monday morning, with at least 1,875 delayed, over the weather conditions, according to Flight Aware.

The West Coast is also bracing for a storm, as forecasters predict rain and moisture in the Pacific Ocean could cause flash floods on Tuesday.

Deadly winter storm leaves 1.6 million without power, wreaks havoc on Christmas travel

Julia Johnson

December 25, 11:55 AM December 25, 12:45 PM

An enduring winter storm has delivered historic snowfall in some areas of the United States, leaving many without power and facing travel obstacles this Christmas.

At least 24 storm-related deaths have occurred, mainly attributed to exposure, car crashes, or falling tree limbs.

As of Christmas Eve, over 1.6 million people faced power outages going into the holiday, with the East Coast primarily affected. North Carolina sustained the most power outages, with 415,588 residents reportedly without power.

Beginning on Friday, Buffalo, New York, received a reported 22.3 inches of snow. On Christmas Eve, 17.9 more inches were added. Buffalo alone saw seven deaths amid the storm's nearly 4 feet of snowfall. Three of those deaths were medical emergencies that were unreachable due to the weather conditions.

TEXANS V. TITANS MATCH IN NASHVILLE DELAYED DUE TO POWER OUTAGES

Washington, D.C., recorded its coldest Christmas Eve day on record on Saturday. The high for the area was 22 degrees, beating the old record of 23 degrees, which was set in 1983. Several other U.S. cities braced themselves as forecasts in Atlanta, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, and Tallahassee, Florida, predicted possible record-setting cold Christmas Eves and Christmas Days.

Airports across New York City and New Jersey further recorded their coldest Christmas Eves in history.

Travel complications surrounding the storm have continued. On Christmas Eve alone, 8,545 U.S. flights were delayed, and 3,488 were canceled. Christmas morning has seen 2,407 delays of U.S. flights and an additional 1,494 cancellations, all before 11 a.m.

Some travelers have been left stranded for the holiday as flight delays and cancellations press on. “I’m here with a couple of kids, my nieces, and there were other kids on the flight. It’s heartbreaking. It’s Christmas,” one LAX traveler told a local outlet. “We got there to the gate with a few minutes to spare. They filled all our seats with people on standby. So, me and about 20 other people who were supposed to go to Maui today cannot go until Monday.”

“We’ve had a lot of issues rescheduling the flights and also because it’s so last-minute,” another explained. “It’s harder to find tickets at the same price they were before.”