New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said Sunday that 12 deaths have been confirmed in the state from the massive winter storm that battered the United States over the holiday weekend, snarling travel and knocking out power to tens of thousands across the country.
The deaths were announced in snowbound Erie County as utility workers and National Guard troops continue to work to restore power after western New York was blasted by what officials have said was the region's longest sustained blizzard ever. Hochul called the storm "devastating."
The deaths of at least 30 people across the country have been linked to the storm β from icy crashes, exposure to frigid cold and other causes. Heavy lake-effect snow in New York has impeded emergency rescue efforts.
Meawhile, millions of people hunkered down against a deep freeze Sunday to ride out the winter storm that has killed at least 30 people across the United States. The Arctic blast has trapped some residents inside homes with heaping snow drifts and knocked out power to scores of homes and businesses.
The scope of the storm has been nearly unprecedented, stretching from the Great Lakes near Canada to the Rio Grande along the border with Mexico. The National Weather Service says about 60% of the U.S. population has faced some sort of winter weather advisory or warning.
