BIDEN DECLARES EMERGENCY IN STATE OF NEW YORK AS WINTER STORM DEATH TOLL RISE

Tue 27 December 2022:

US President Joe Biden declared an emergency in the state of New York due to a severe winter storm, the White House said in a statement.

“Today, President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. declared that an emergency exists in the State of New York and ordered Federal assistance to supplement State and local response efforts due to the emergency conditions resulting from a severe winter storm beginning on December 23, 2022, and continuing,” according to the statement.

“The President’s action authorizes the Department of Homeland Security, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), to coordinate all disaster relief efforts which have the purpose of alleviating the hardship and suffering caused by the emergency on the local population, and to provide appropriate assistance for required emergency measures,” the statement said.

Earlier reports said at least 12 states, namely Colorado, Illinois, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Missouri, Nebraska, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Tennessee and Wisconsin reported a total of 50 deaths. The city of Buffalo in northeastern New York state had the most casualties, with more than a meter of snow falling over the weekend. As of today, at least 14 people had died, according to reports.

Numerous State highways in the Western New York region remain closed to all traffic, as of Monday afternoon. The New York State Thruway (I-90) remains closed to all traffic between exit 46 in Rochester to the Pennsylvania line.

Heavy snow is expected to continue to impact areas off Lake Ontario and Lake Erie this week. Another one to two feet of snow is expected east of Lake Ontario through Tuesday, with snowfall rates of three inches per hour on Monday.

The Buffalo area is expected to receive up to an additional foot of snow over the next few days, before temperatures rise later this week and through the weekend. The Department of Transportation has surged an additional 100 staff to the Western New York, Finger Lakes and North Country Regions to assist with snow and ice removal operations.

Lake Effect Snow Warnings and Winter Storm Warnings are currently in effect for several counties in the North Country region.

New York State Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services Commissioner Jackie Bray said, “We have and continue to work with our state and local partners to help New Yorkers recover from this devastating winter storm. I want to thank everyone involved in the response to date, and for their continued efforts as we remain active in search and rescue missions.

Please adhere to local travel advisories that are still in place and know that Governor Hochul and I are working with our partners at all levels of government to ensure we get the assistance necessary to keep communities in Western New York safe.”

5,500 Flights Canceled

More than 5,500 flights were canceled in the United States as of Monday evening due to a snow storm, The Washington Post reported.

Earlier, media reported that at least 50 people had died in the United States by Monday morning as a result of heavy winter storm-related incidents.

At least 12 states, namely Colorado, Illinois, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Missouri, Nebraska, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Tennessee and Wisconsin reported a total of 50 deaths, NBC news said. The city of Buffalo in northeastern New York state had the most casualties, with more than a meter of snow falling over the weekend. As of today, at least 14 people had died, the report said.

SOURCE: INDEPENDENT PRESS AND NEWS AGENCIES

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