At least 27 people have been reported dead in the US' New York City and around 60 people have lost their lives nationwide from what authorities called the “blizzard of the century,” a relentless winter storm that wrecked havoc, especially in New York state, the Guardian reported citing an NBC News tally.
At a press conference on Monday, New York governor, Kathy Hochul, urged people to stay at home and remain off the roads. “Anyone who declares victory and says that it’s over, it is way too early to say,” Hochul said, adding, “The storm is coming back, we’re expecting another six to 12 inches,” the Guardian reported.
She added, “This is a war with mother nature, and she has been hitting us with everything she has.”
Nonetheless, the crisis also brought out several stories of endurance, survival and rescue from America’s hardest-hit region.
According to the Guardian which cited the New York Times, a South Korean tour group, which was headed for Niagara Falls, found their van stuck in the snow outside Buffalo. Two members of the group knocked on the door of a nearby house, and asked for shovels.
The homeowners, Alexander and Andrea Campagna, invited the nine travelers and their tour van driver into their home; the group stayed there over the weekend, departing Sunday.
The Times quoted Alexander Campagna as saying: “We have enjoyed this so much … we will never forget this.”
In another incident as reported by CNN, a family of six from Williamsville, near Buffalo, tried to get to a hotel on Friday night after losing power, but soon found themselves stranded in the snow. Buffalo airport firefighters rescued the parents Demetrice and Danielle, as well as their four children.
As per CNN, the family got to spend the evening and Christmas eve at the fire station as they were the only people among the more than three dozen rescued near Buffalo’s airport who were traveling with small children. The firefighters worked quickly to find presents to “make sure Santa paid a visit”, the outlet said.
Authorities in New York state have reported severe conditions, especially in Buffalo, with hours-long whiteouts, victims recovered in vehicles and under snow banks, and emergency officials going "car to car" looking for more motorists, alive or dead, the Guardian reported.
On Monday, Hochul spoke with president Joe Biden, who offered “the full force of the federal government” to support New York state, and said he and first lady Jill Biden were praying for those who lost loved ones in the storm, according to a White House statement.