Source, Getty Images
Snowstorm ranks Buffalo as the second largest storm in recorded history
At least 50 people died due to the arctic cold and snowstorm that affected the USA and Canada.
Buffalo, New York, was the hardest hit by the storm.
New York State Governor Kathy Hochul announced that all of the fire trucks in Buffalo were stranded on their way to rescuing snowflakes, so she urged people not to go out unless absolutely necessary.
Huge icicles formed outside some houses in the city.
Hochul said that after the big storm in 1977, Buffalo faced the most severe storm in its history, emphasizing that this storm will go down in history, adding that the city has “turned into a war zone”.
Speaking to US broadcaster CBS, a father told that he was stranded on the road with his young children and had to wait 11 hours to be rescued on Sunday.
It is estimated that there were power outages in 250 thousand households in the country at the weekend.
Air current that causes cold air in the Arctic to descend south
In Canada, four people died after a bus overturned on an icy road.
Although experts said that the storm is expected to subside in a few days, they warned not to travel unless necessary.
Vehicles were stranded on the roads in Buffalo as thousands of homes were cut off from electricity.
Many people were unable to visit their families for Christmas due to thousands of flight cancellations.
55 million Americans were affected by the cold weather warnings on Sunday.
Source, Reuters
Multiple vehicles abandoned in the middle of the road in Buffalo
Due to the rapid decrease in air pressure and the increase in the intensity of the storm, the search and rescue teams remained on the road due to the storm conditions defined as “bomb cyclone”.
Mark Poloncarz, one of the officials of the city of Erie, close to the Canadian border, stated that some of the people who lost their lives were found in cars or under the snow.
“None of us expected Christmas to go like this,” Poloncarz said on Twitter.
Hot airflow will warm the US over the weekend
On the other hand, the west coast of the USA, which froze last weekend, is expected to warm more than 20 degrees this week.
Experts warn that snow that will melt very quickly can cause flooding.
Source, EPA