The intense winter weather that has gripped most of the United States claimed the lives of four more people in Upstate New York, making a total of seven casualties there so far.
Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz announced the latest deaths Sunday morning.
"This is not the Christmas any of us hoped for nor expected, but try to have as merry a Christmas as possible today," Poloncarz tweeted. "Remember the holiday spirit and why we're a community of good neighbors. Again, my deepest condolences to the families who have lost loved ones."
Erie County is where the city of Buffalo is located. Buffalo has been hit particularly hard in recent days, and Poloncarz urged people not to go there to help.
"If the storm has subsided near you and there is an open road, do not plan on going into the City of Buffalo to try and rescue family/friends," he tweeted. "Most of Buffalo is still impassable. Just because it looks open near you, doesn't mean you will be able to get very far a few miles away."
Poloncarz said that he has been in touch with President Biden and New York Gov. Kathy Hochul to get an official disaster declaration.
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The effects of the storm have hardly been limited to the northeast. Almost 94 million people across the United States were under wind chill advisories going into Christmas morning, as intense winter weather gripped most of the country. Advisories covered areas ranging from North Dakota to South Florida.
Making the cold even worse, more than 1 million Americans have suffered power outages during the cold spell. This is particularly difficult for those who rely on electricity to heat their homes.
According to Fox Weather, temperatures are expected to increase starting on Monday. By mid-week, temperatures may be at above-average levels.
