At least eight dead in 'historic' US snowstorm
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NEW YORK (AFP) - A "historic" storm dumped more than five feet of snow, stranding scores of motorists, canceling flights and killing at least eight people in the northeastern United States, officials said Wednesday.
Areas east and southeast of Buffalo, in northern New York state, could receive a year's accumulation of snow or even more in just two days, Erie County executive Mark Poloncarz told reporters.
The deadly burst, named Winter Storm Knife, may see as much as another three feet (one metre) of snowfall on Thursday, which could prompt a federal disaster declaration, Poloncarz said.
The Arctic blast will keep temperatures below normal until the weekend, and all 50 states recording below freezing temperatures on Tuesday, the National Weather Service said.
A state of emergency and travel bans are in effect across Buffalo's Erie County and authorities ordered people to stay at home to allow crews to clear roads, repair power lines and provide emergency assistance to the most vulnerable.
