At least 34 people have now been reported dead in the aftermath of a winter storm in Erie County, New York.
Twenty-six of those who died were found in Buffalo, while seven were located in the suburbs, Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz said in a news conference, adding he did not know where one person was found.
Along with burying the city with more than 50 inches of snow since Christmas Eve, the storm carried frigid temperatures and extreme winds – with gusts measured stronger than 70 mph at times, according to the National Weather Service.
At least 25 others across 11 US states also have been reported dead in the storm.
Those conditions were expected to dissipate Wednesday as temperatures rise into the 40s and 50s throughout next week. Some rain was in the forecast, which along with melted snow, could bring some slight flooding.
A driving ban remains in effect Wednesday in Buffalo amid a two-day effort to clear at least one lane on every street to accommodate emergency responders, according to the city.
They’re still hampered, though, by hundreds of vehicles abandoned in the snow, hazardous driving conditions, and snow-covered lanes, with emergency and recovery vehicles still getting stuck, Poloncarz spokesperson Peter Anderson said Tuesday.
Conditions across the U.S. were also expected to warm, with some areas, including the Midwest, seeing temperatures 10 to 20 degrees above average.
