Devastating Snow Storm Kills 55 Across US, Including 25 in New York's Erie County

The deadly blizzard many are calling "once-in-a-lifetime" has killed at least 55 people in the United States, including 25 in New York's Erie County, where officials have called the conditions one of, if not the, worst storm the area has ever seen.

The storm has stretched from the Great Lakes near Canada to the Rio Grande along the U.S.'s border with Mexico. Deaths were recorded in 12 states: Colorado, Illinois, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Missouri, Nebraska, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Tennessee and Wisconsin, NBC News reported.  

Twenty-five people died in New York's Erie County alone, 18 of which were reportedly located in Buffalo, NBC reported. Some of those deaths are not included in Erie County’s official tally, but the county was working to confirm those, Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz said.

In Buffalo, many are comparing the storm to the devastating blizzard of 1977, a storm that lasted several days and killed 29 people, according to the Northeast Regional Climate Center.

The storm ripping through Buffalo now is on its second day and has already claimed the lives of 25 people, Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz said during a press conference. 

Erie County has been hit with up to 43 inches in some areas, according to the National Weather Service.

The intensity of the storm and the amount of snow forced officials to impose a travel ban for non-emergency drivers and has left many without power due to the conditions, said Poloncarz.

New York Governor Kathy Hochul has already activated the National Guard and is expected to have 400 troops on the ground to help with medical missions, escort health care personnel to the hospitals, help rescue people stuck in their vehicles and help reinforce the front lines, according to a storm briefing. 

According to Hochul, more than 39,000 households across New York state were without power on Sunday, Christmas Day, and 27,000 of those were in Erie county alone during the deadly storm. 

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