Blizzard affects Xmas in US; weather-related deaths reach 31

New Delhi: The brutal blizzard in the United States brought frigid temperatures in the eastern parts of the country, making Christmas Day hard for the people. Also, weather-related deaths rose to at least 31, Agence France-Presse reported.

At least 12 of the deaths were reported in New York, and officials informed that the count might rise.

Buffalo, in western New York, a severe blizzard left it unconnected, making emergency services unable to reach impacted areas. The governor of New York said that the place resembled a war zone. The snowfall was 2.4 meters deep, along with power outages, making the situation life-threatening.

The governor advised people to stay indoors.

Residents from Buffalo said that due to the current weather conditions, they could not even make a 10-minute drive to meet their families on Christmas.

More than 2,00,000 people were left without power on Christmas morning, and many had holiday plans cancelled after the five-day-long hostile weather conditions. Temperatures went below freezing levels, and people got trapped inside the ice and snow-encrusted homes.

Electric substations have gone frozen, which will hamper power reinstation in many areas. One of the substations was reportedly frozen and buried under 18 feet of snow, an official said.

Being one of the fiercest in decades, the storms made the cancellation of more than 2,400 US flights on Sunday. On Saturday, it was 3,500 flights and Friday, 6,000.

Drivers were requested not to take the roads, but it is the busiest of times in an near the nation. A bus rolled over in British Columbia, Canada. The incident might be out of icy roads, it is believed.