Death toll in Buffalo blizzard rises to 37 as National Guard conducts welfare checks
Cami Mondeaux
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The death toll in the Buffalo blizzard has risen to at least 37 on Wednesday, making it the deadliest snowstorm in the New York city since 1950, according to officials.
The increased death toll comes as the National Guard conducts door-to-door welfare checks and the city seeks to return to normal after the Christmas weekend storm. All driving bans in Erie County that were implemented last week have been lifted as of midnight Thursday, but a travel advisory remains in place for the time being, according to Erie County chief executive Mark Poloncarz.
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Of the 37 confirmed deaths, 29 occurred in Buffalo, seven died in the city’s suburbs, and one has not yet been confirmed, Poloncarz said Wednesday. However, that number could continue to rise as National Guard members continue their welfare checks on homes that lost power from the storm.
Seventeen of those who died were found outside in the storm, with another four who shoveled and then suffered a “cardiac event,” according to officials. Three people died due to delays in emergency medical services, nine were found in their homes without heating, and another four were found in a vehicle.
“There are multiple unidentified bodies at this point,” Poloncarz said. “I offer my very deepest sympathies and condolences to all who have lost a loved one from this terrible Blizzard.”
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New York Gov. Kathy Hochul declared a state of emergency on the evening of Dec. 22 ahead of the arrival of the storm, which remains in place this week. The New York governor also deployed several emergency response agencies as well as an additional 220 National Guard soldiers to the Western New York region in response to the blizzard conditions.
President Joe Biden later signed a request from Hochul to grant emergency federal assistance in the aftermath of the storm, as hazardous conditions have continued to affect the state. Dozens of people have died nationwide due to inclement winter conditions, including residents in Colorado, Illinois, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Missouri, Nebraska, Ohio, Oklahoma, Tennessee, and Wisconsin.