Since Wednesday evening, the United States has been struck by a storm of rare intensity. Polar winds have caused significant snowfall, especially in the Great Lakes region.
MO12345lemonde with AFP
A winter storm, carrying icy winds and sweeping the center and the east of the United States for days, has left more than thirty dead and left tens of thousands of Americans without electricity on the day of Christmas.
Thirty-two deaths have been confirmed in nine states, including thirteen in the county of Erié, located in the state of New York and which includes the city of Buffalo, where the accumulated snow has reached in places to ‘three meters high. Some victims have been found in cars and others in the street in the middle of the snow.
Mark Poloncarz, chief of the county of Erié, said he feared that other deaths are to be deplored in his county. “People have been stuck in their car for more than two days and others in houses where temperatures are refrigerated,” he warned.
A ban to move had been pronounced in this region on Friday, but hundreds of people found themselves blocked in their vehicle. Help went car by car on Sunday to see “if they found bodies”, described Mark Poloncarz on CNN .
“Major crisis”
“This is a major crisis,” recognized New York State governor Kathy Hochul, a native of Buffalo, who had the National Guard deployed.
Electricity will not be completely restored to Buffalo before Monday, warned Mr. Poloncarz, calling on the inhabitants not to leave their homes, the remaining impractical roads.
Between thirty and sixty centimeters of snow had to fall until the night, according to the last Bulletin of the American Meteorological Service (NWS). Temperatures should however return to “seasonal norms by next week,” according to the NWS.
More than 48,000 households were still without electricity on the east coast on Sunday, where the weather has deprived of electricity some 150,000 households, according to the Poweroutage.us.
Canada also affected
More than 3,000 flights were canceled on Sunday, in addition to the approximately 3,500 canceled on Saturday and 6,000 Friday, according to the Flightaware.com follow -up site. Almost everywhere in American cities, as in Denver or Chicago, shelters have been opened to accommodate people in need to allow them to warm up and protect them from the risks of hypothermia. > Newsletter “human warmth” How to face the climate challenge? Each week, our best articles on the subject register section>
The storm also affected Canada where a bus accident on a frozen road left at least four dead and several dozen wounded in British Columbia , according to the authorities. More than 150,000 people are also deprived of electricity, especially in Ontario and Quebec. All Toronto trains in Ottawa and Montreal were also suspended on Christmas Day following a train derail, according to the Canadian rail transport service.