Seven more people in the city have died in the blizzard that hit Western New York over the Christmas holiday, bringing the city’s toll to 28, Mayor Byron Brown said this morning.
He also said that toll is expected to rise as cleanup and rescue efforts continue.
“That is very sobering,” he said on WBEN 930AM this morning.
Across Erie County, 28 people have died in situations related to the blizzard, County Executive Mark Poloncarz said late Tuesday morning. Those are storm-related deaths confirmed by the county’s medical examiner.
At the same time, Brown reported 28 deaths in the city, plus another 12 who died of natural causes; it’s unclear whether all of those deaths are reflected in the county’s toll.
Today, Brown said some of the people who died in the city were found in snow banks, others in cars. Some were in their homes, he said.
He also said that officials believe they have rescued all stranded drivers who needed help. Nearly 4,000 customers remain without power, he said.
A travel ban remains in effect in the city, he said.
Poloncarz reiterated that travel ban and criticized people who are trying to drive through the city, including commercial delivery trucks. He said about 100 military police officers were on their way to the city to direct traffic. New York state troopers are also on their way to help, he said.
“People just are ignoring the driving ban,” Poloncarz said, adding that many streets in the city remain impassable.
The city now is trucking snow out of the city to clear more streets, he said. Some of the vehicles that were abandoned are being towed, he said.
Six dump trucks and two pay loaders are being sent from the city of Syracuse to assist, according to a news release. Nine employees from the Department of Public Works are going, officials said. They have no scheduled return date, city officials said.
More than 100 national guard members are in the Buffalo area helping in the cleanup efforts, Brown said.
“This was an act of nature,” Brown said. Even with more personnel and equipment, “this would be a very difficult storm to handle.”
Police are also starting to focus on looters, Buffalo Police Commissioner Joseph Gramaglia said. A special detail of officers is handling the looters, he said.
“You’re destroying your community,” Gramaglia said. The looters have been destroying stores and stealing T.V.s he said.
Many stores, including all Wegmans and Tops locations in two counties, were closed Friday through Monday as the region got hammered by as much as four feet of snow.
Another 2 to 3 inches is expected in the Buffalo area today, according to the National Weather Service. Temperatures are expected to warm above freezing by Wednesday.
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