Parts of US could see another 9 inches of snow as President Biden authorizes federal support US News

Parts of the U.S. could see up to nine inches of fresh snow today, suggesting the winter blizzards that have caused chaos in North America are far from over.

The storm killed at least 55 people in the United States and four more after a bus overturned on icy roads in British Columbia, Canada.

In the United States, 28 people died in New York state, most of them in Erie County, where the main city of Buffalo was hit hard.

President Joe Biden has authorized the federal government to support New York state, where tens of thousands lost power in the storm.

Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz described the snowstorm as “probably the worst storm of our lifetimes” and warned: “It’s not over yet.”

He said some people had been trapped in their cars for more than two days, with emergency services struggling to reach those in need in the inclement weather.

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said over the weekend that many ambulance and fire trucks in the state were themselves trapped in the snow, and Buffalo police appealed online for snowmobile owners to help.

On Monday, she called the storm “one-of-a-kind,” adding that the storm and another major blizzard more than a month ago brought nearly as much snow as the region could expect to see through the winter.

Those who left their cars in search of warmth and safety are now trying to find them again, with many vehicles buried under snow.

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People struggle to dig out a car as a winter storm hits the Buffalo area on December 26, 2022 in Amherst, New York, USA. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid
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Buffalo area in Amherst, NY
Christian Parker of Buffalo, N.Y., shovels out his car on Monday, Dec. 12, in the Elmwood Village neighborhood of Buffalo, N.Y.  On February 26, 2022, a big snowstorm enveloped the city. In addition to drift and travel bans, many streets are impassable with abandoned vehicles.  (AP Photo/Craig Glatter)
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Buffalo’s Elmwood Village community.Photo: Associated Press

As the snow clears, more victims are expected to be found — many of the confirmed victims were people who froze while trapped in their cars.

Some victims died while shoveling snow, and some died when ambulances were unable to reach them in time for medical emergencies.

Many stores in Buffalo were closed and people were told not to travel, so some took to social media to ask for donations of food and other household essentials.

However, National Weather Service meteorologist Ashton Robinson Cook said the temperature will start to slowly rise later in the week, and the situation will improve.

On Monday, nearly 4,000 flights were canceled and nearly 70,000 homes and businesses remained without power, according to tracking website FlightAware.

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