The city in New York has scenes like “The Day of Tomorrow”.

At least 39 people have died as cold weather wreaks havoc across the US over the Christmas weekend. The highest death toll was in New York state, where 17 people died as a result of the severe blizzard, New York Governor Cathy Hochul said. The Buffalo region, hit hard by the massive snowfall resulting from the bomb cyclone, had scenes reminiscent of the movie “The Day After Tomorrow.”

Ten of New York’s deaths occurred in Buffalo. Executive Mark Polancarz of Erie County, which includes Buffalo, said he expected more deaths. The stadium governor said the “enormous” blizzard brought winds of nearly 120 km/h to Buffalo. “This will go down in history as the most destructive storm” in Buffalo, he said at a Christmas morning news conference.

Buffalo initiated a travel ban as blizzard conditions approached. “I cannot overstate how dangerous the conditions still are,” Governor Hochul said Sunday, urging people to stay off the roads over Christmas.

Vehicles are stranded on the road as a winter storm batters the Buffalo area of ​​Amherst, New York. For the first time in the storm’s history, the Buffalo Fire Department was unable to respond to any calls, officials said. The National Guard was called out. Hundreds of people have been rescued from the cars, Hochul said, adding: “We still have people to rescue.”

“It’s like walking into a war zone,” said New York Gov. Cathy Hochul, a native of Buffalo, where wind-driven snow reached eight feet in some places and blackouts. He warned overnight that residents still faced dangerous, life-threatening conditions and urged everyone to stay indoors.

Awesome job by our state fire crews @NYSDHSES Last night in Buffalo!

The two people who had been stuck in the car since Friday were rescued and brought home with the help of an injured neighbor. pic.twitter.com/louXc8z4Ku

— Governor Kathy Hochul (@GovKathyHochul) December 25, 2022

Heavy snow and temperatures as low as -48ºC resulted in 15,000 flight cancellations and more than 50,000 delays as roads became impassable. Some walked on roads due to frozen asphalt and poor visibility. Officials have reported historically dangerous conditions in the Buffalo area, with hours of power outages and bodies found beneath vehicles and snow banks.

NYSDOT Western NY/Disclosure

Some residents are not expected to have service restored until Tuesday because of frozen power substations, with one substation buried under 20 feet of snow, a senior district official said.

Gov. Kathy Hochul sent the National Guard to Erie County, where emergency services were paralyzed, to rescue people trapped in snow in Buffalo. “The wind is so strong it creates snow dunes. It’s crazy,” Ali Lawson, 34, who has lived in Buffalo for eight years, commented yesterday.

Many thanks to the members @NationalGuardNY Hired in WNY this weekend as they continue to help with the storm surge. Here’s a look at one of the many favors they’ve done @ErieCountyNY pic.twitter.com/G5I9sHeIer

– NYS TV. Homeland Security and Emergency Services (@NYSDHSES) December 26, 2022

DOT crews are still on roads across WNY battling snow and ice – plowing operations on Route 430 in Chautauqua County pic.twitter.com/PplKm5p7GM

— NYSDOT Western NY (@NYSDOTBuffalo) December 25, 2022

Nearly 1.7 million customers nationwide were without power over the weekend, according to the website Poweroutage.us. While more than 70,000 customers in the US East were still in the dark, that number dropped significantly Sunday night. Temperatures in the central and eastern United States should return to “seasonal standards by midweek,” according to the NWS.

The storm started as a rain event for Buffalo, with the city receiving 50mm of rain on Friday, breaking the previous daily record of 37mm dating back to 1878. The rain turned to heavy snow on Friday morning as freezing arctic air invaded.

The Buffalo airport recorded nearly 16 hours of zero visibility from noon Friday to early Christmas Eve. “One of the most extensive and intense blizzards I’ve ever seen,” serious meteorologist Reed Timmer said amid the blizzard.

The lake band is still raging, but it is now south of the airport. Here’s a view of the front of our office with a very impressive pile of snow. Many (many) cars are still buried throughout the area. pic.twitter.com/owto22GbF6

— NWS Buffalo (@NWSBUFFALO) December 25, 2022

Buffalo Niagara International Airport, northwest of downtown, saw more than a meter of snow. 56.6cm of snow fell at the airport on Friday alone, with another 45.4cm on Christmas Eve.

The National Weather Service office in Buffalo posted a photo on Twitter showing mountains of snow piled up outside its building. “Several (several) cars are still buried throughout the area,” the post said.