Over a million families in the United States are left without power this weekend as a winter storm continues to pummel parts of the country with blizzard conditions.
As heavy snow, howling winds and dangerously frigid temperatures kept much of the nation in frozen grip, at least 17 weather-related deaths have been confirmed across eight states.
New York state has been hit hard prompting Governor Kathy Hochul to deploy the National Guard to Erie County and its main city Buffalo, where authorities said emergency services have essentially collapsed in the face of extreme blizzard conditions.
The National Weather Service warned that blizzard conditions in the Great Lakes region caused by lake-effect snow will continue into Saturday night, including in Buffalo.
Residents have reported that roads are completely impassible.
The “bomb cyclone” winter storm, which is considered as one of the fiercest in decades, had already forced the cancellation of over 3,300 US flights on Saturday.
According to a flight tracking website Flightaware.com, the conditions has caused the delay of nearly 7,500 more, a day after nearly 6,000 were cancelled.
