Funviralpark Two people died overnight in upstate New York, and hundreds of people were forced out of their cars on Saturday morning as a massive winter storm disrupted travel and drove people home across the country before Christmas. said Erie County Administrator Mark C. Polonkers.
“This was a very bad night for our community,” said Polonkers.
Poloncarz said two people died Friday night in Cheektowaga, a suburb of the Buffalo, New York, area. It was not immediately clear which illness caused the need for medical assistance.
The incident brings the number of storm-related deaths to eight.
New York Governor Kathy Hochul has deployed 54 members of the National Guard to Erie County to assist with the ongoing emergency response, she said in a statement Friday night.
“New Yorkers are experiencing life-threatening and dangerous winter storms that are causing freezing temperatures and coastal flooding across the state, with snow and ice especially in western and northern New York,” she said. said in a statement.
Meanwhile, hundreds of households were stranded on a six-mile (6-mile) section of Kentucky’s interstate on Saturday morning as emergency responders struggled to clear the road, the state’s emergency management agency said. says.
“This is a life-threatening concern and we don’t want to see another neighbor pass by from this storm,” the agency said. We face challenges that require additional solutions that are not typical for winter events.”
Meredith and Matthew Mikesell, from Louisville, Kentucky, told their local ABC News affiliate that they were stranded on an interstate for nearly 12 hours Saturday morning.
The couple, who were traveling to Matthew’s parents’ home in Columbus, Ohio for Christmas, ran the car’s engine for heating, but they said they were running out of food and water.
A nearby truck driver offered him water, a sandwich and a granola bar.
“Without him, we would have been really hurt,” Matthew said.
Friday, Dec. 23 set a record for most flight cancellations in the calendar year as millions of Americans traveled before Christmas amid massive winter storms.
According to tracking site FlightAware, about 6,000 flights (5,930 in all) were canceled on Friday, both inside and outside the United States.
The record so far this year was set on February 3, when 5,247 flights were canceled.
A massive storm is bringing blizzard conditions and icy roads to the United States as the holiday travel rush progresses.
Cancellations, Delivery Delays, Suspensions
FedEx and UPS have warned customers that Christmas deliveries may be delayed as the weather is affecting major shipping hubs.
Jeff Kowalski/AFP via Getty Images
Travelers arrive for flights at United Airlines Terminal 1 before the Christmas holidays at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport on December 22, 2022.
Kamil Kurzaczynski/AFP via Getty Images
Data from poweroutage.us shows that more than 1 million customers in the US have lost power, with a state of emergency declared from South Dakota to New York.
President Joe Biden said Thursday, “This is a very serious weather warning. Please take this storm very seriously.”
Traffic and snowplow vehicles clear the roadway as traffic signs warn drivers of road conditions along State Route 14/18 in Madison, Wisconsin, December 22, 2022.
John Hurt/Wisconsin State Journal via AP
Vehicles drive on Interstate 44 as snow begins to fall and temperatures drop in St. Louis on December 22, 2022.
Jeff Roberson/AP
danger on the road
Four people were killed in a crash involving at least 46 vehicles on the Ohio Turnpike at noon Friday, according to the Ohio State Highway Patrol.
State police, including those in New York, Illinois and Michigan, are urging people to stay off the road.
The Michigan State Police announced that nine semi-tractor trailers had crashed on Interstate 94 in Berien County. A pile of seven cars was reported in the same area, police said.
“Today, thousands of first responders, emergency managers, and utility crews are working within the elements to keep New Yorkers safe,” New York Governor Kathy Hochul said in a statement Friday. said. “Things will get worse as temperatures drop across the state later today, so stay off the road tonight. Bundle up and stay indoors this weekend to stay safe.”
The Minnesota Department of Transportation has closed or discouraged travel on more than 2,000 miles of highway. Has been updated Whiteout conditions, drifting snow and extreme temperatures on Friday afternoon made the trip dangerous.
Latest forecast
The storm crossed the Midwest and Great Lakes on Thursday.
A Chicago Transit Authority train arrives at Roosevelt Station on December 22, 2022 as the front edge of a winter storm begins in Chicago.
Charles Rex Arbogast/AP
A man walks along Lake Michigan at sunrise on Dec. 22, 2022, as temperatures in Chicago hover around -6 degrees Celsius.
Scott Olson/Getty Images
Blizzard conditions will continue through Friday on the Great Lakes.
Michigan and western New York could get a few feet of snow.
Only a few inches of snow are expected in the rest of the Midwest. But a combination of snow, wind and bitter cold will make the trip very dangerous all day Friday.
Meanwhile, heavy rains hit the Northeast on Thursday night, flooding roads from Virginia to New York.
It’s been raining heavily in New England.
Temperatures drop on Fridays and roads can freeze, so be extra careful if you’re going on weekends.
