Buffalo death toll reaches 32 in brutal Christmas weekend storm as bodies turn up in snowbanks, iced-in cars

The death toll from Buffalo’s brutal weekend blizzard reached at least 32 on Tuesday, as residents began to dig out and federal officials stepped in to support disaster relief efforts.

The death toll appeared likely to rise. Bodies have been found in snowbanks and frosted-over autos after a brutal Christmas weekend in western New York.

Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz said at least 31 deaths had been confirmed in his county, which includes Buffalo.

Another death was reported in Niagara County, north of Buffalo. Heavy snow encased a residential furnace in Lockport, feeding carbon monoxide into the home and killing a 27-year-old, according to the Niagara County sheriff’s office.

In Genesee County, east of Buffalo, hundreds of cars were stranded during the blizzard and residents opened their homes to strangers, said County Manager Matt Landers.

He said in an email that no deaths had been recorded countywide, adding that his county “made it through with a Christmas miracle.”

The snowstorm, which began to crush the Buffalo region on Friday, abated by Tuesday, allowing a reprieve. But officials still urged locals to stay off the roads.

“You can absolutely go out and walk to check on neighbors, go to open stores, etc,” Poloncarz tweeted Tuesday. “But do not drive.”

Still, freeways in western New York were beginning to reopen, including the New York State Thruway, Gov. Hochul’s office said.

Hochul said in a statement that New York was “finally turning the corner on this once-in-a-generation storm,” but added that it would “take many more days for the region to dig out.”

Crews pushed prodigious piles of snow into walls of powder by the Kensington Expressway in Erie County, according to the state Department of Transportation.

On Tuesday morning, Buffalo’s Niagara International Airport was buried under more than 51 inches of snow, according to the National Weather Service. The airport, closed since last Friday, was not expected to reopen before Wednesday.

Late Monday, President Biden approved a federal emergency declaration to support disaster relief efforts in the Buffalo area.

Gov. Hochul, who declared a state of emergency before the blizzard bore down on New York, submitted a request to the White House for the federal declaration earlier on Monday. It was approved within hours.

The emergency authorization positions the Federal Emergency Management Agency to coordinate relief efforts. Under the order, federal funding will cover 75% of the relief costs, and state funding will cover 25%.

Hochul said in a statement on Monday afternoon that the declaration would “be crucial to assist our recovery efforts from this historic storm.”

The authorization covers Erie and Genesee County. The area was walloped over the weekend by bitter cold and driving snow, a storm described by officials as the region’s worst in a half-century.

The governor’s office said response efforts were expected to continue throughout the week. The Christmas storm carried frigid wind gusts up to 60 mph, and dumped piles of snow across the Buffalo area.

Roads became impassable, and some bold drivers who braved the elements abandoned their autos in snowbanks. Snowplows and rescue vehicles were also buried under powder, the governor said.

The death toll from the storm eclipsed the Blizzard of 1977, which brought intense winds and was said to have killed as many as 29 people.

[ Nov. 21: Biden declares federal emergency after nearly 7 feet of snow crushes Buffalo region ]

Though more snow was forecast to fall on Buffalo later in the week, temperatures were expected to rise, in a bit of bright news for the area.

New York City was dry on Tuesday afternoon, with temperatures around 33 degrees. Later this week, the city is expected to see balmy weather, with temperatures peeking into the 50s.