Kathy Hochul requests federal emergency assistance for Buffalo blizzard
Misty Severi
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New York’s Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) asked the White House for federal assistance on Sunday after a major winter snowstorm brought blizzard conditions to the state.
Western New York, including Buffalo, was one of the places hit the hardest by the storm. Twenty-seven people have died from the storm in Western New York, according to the Associated Press. Hochul said she has been in contact with White House chief of staff Ron Klain, who has promised the federal government would fund whatever costs were necessary to help the Empire State.
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“We continue to work around the clock with local leaders to respond to this historic storm and are in contact with the White House to secure critical federal assistance to help our communities recover,” Hochul said in a statement on Sunday. “I encourage everyone to continue to look after one another, stay off the roads, and take precautions to stay safe in your home.”
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Hochul declared a statewide State of Emergency on Friday and deployed the New York National Guard to assist with the storm response and search and rescue missions. Additional resources, including assistance from the state police, New York’s Department of Transportation, and New York’s Department of Environmental Conservation, aided local officials in restoring power to thousands of residents on Christmas and Christmas Eve, according to Hochul’s office.
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. New York’s death toll is part of 50 residents who have died from the extreme cold nationwide, which includes fatalities in Colorado, Illinois, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Missouri, Nebraska, Ohio, Oklahoma, Tennessee, and Wisconsin, according to NBC News.