‘DEVASTATING’

U.S. Death Toll Hits 37 in ‘Horrendous’ Winter Storm

Twenty-five people have been found dead in New York’s Erie County alone.

Last weekend's winter storm killed at least 37 people nationwide, with 25 found dead in New York's Erie County alone, according to officials.

In an interview with CNN, Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz blamed the unusually high number of deaths on difficult conditions that made it hard to rescue people trapped in the snow. While the western New York county, which includes Buffalo, is familiar with winter storms, the weekend’s storm included snow that created “blinding views” that Poloncarz called “horrenodus’ and “the worst conditions that any of us have ever seen.” After the storm, rescuers found people dead in their cars or on the street.

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) echoed Poloncarz’s description in an interview with CNN, calling it the “most devastating storm” Buffalo has ever experienced. Erie County remains under a driving ban through Monday, and National Guard soldiers have deployed to the city.