Winter Storm Elliott continued to wreak havoc across the US on Monday, with its freezing temps and heavy snow killing not less than 57 people and battering travelers.
The storm had walloped a lot of the Midwest and eastern US over the weekend, cutting a large swath from the Great Lakes to the Rio Grande along the Mexican border and resulting in the staggering rising death toll, NBC reported.
Deaths have now occurred in not less than 12 states, with Recent York taking the brunt of the deadly toll. A minimum of 28 people were killed in upstate Erie and Niagara counties. Around 25 of the 28 died in Buffalo in Erie, officials said.
The opposite states where people died from Elliott are Colorado, Illinois, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Missouri, Nebraska, Ohio, Oklahoma, Tennessee and Wisconsin, the outlet said.
While 1000’s remain without power nationwide, two energy firms — Con Edison and National Grid — urged users to scale back natural gas usage as pipelines faced the chance of overuse while temperatures continued to plummet.
“Much of the eastern US will remain in a deep freeze through Monday before a moderating trend sets in on Tuesday,” the National Weather Service said in a bulletin early Monday.
Along with the Arctic blast, lake-effect snow attributable to the cold air from Canada moving across the Great Lakes is predicted to proceed early this week, potentially snarling post-holiday travel plans.
Greater than 1,400 flights had been canceled early Monday, with not less than 1,300 more delayed.
While air travel stays uncertain, icy roads and white-out visibility have also caused several major accidents and traffic delays across the country.
“The life-threatening cold temperatures and together with dangerous wind chills will create a potentially life-threatening hazard for travelers that turn into stranded, individuals that work outside, livestock and domestic pets,” the National Weather Service cautioned.
The Pacific Northwest and California are also bracing for extreme weather this week, as experts warn that a residual “potent blast of moisture” could bring flash floods to the region.