Winter storm kills more than 30 in western New York

The death toll from the winter storm in Western New York continues to rise, with seven more deaths reported by the Buffalo mayor’s office Tuesday morning.

In all, more than 30 people have been reported dead in Erie and Niagara counties from the worst blizzard in recent memory.

“They’ve been found in a variety of ways,” said Mike DeGeorge, a spokesman for the Buffalo mayor’s office. “They’ve been found in stranded vehicles, on sidewalks, near street corners, in some snow banks. Some have been found since some have been without power since the storm began.

The city has seen light snow for the past two days as conditions eased from the blizzard that blanketed the region over the weekend, Mr. DeGeorge said.

“When I look out the window, it’s clear and it’s not snowing,” he said Tuesday morning.

Mr. DeGeorge said crews are working to clear major roads as well as secondary and residential roads. Crews are engaged in removing all abandoned vehicles from the roads.

However, an additional 3 to 5 inches of snow is expected in the region on Tuesday, according to the National Weather Service.

A travel ban remained in effect in Buffalo as of Tuesday morning, although it was reduced to an advisory in the nearby community of Cheektowaga, Mark Poloncarz, Erie County Executive, announced.

About 4,000 people in Buffalo are still without power, Mr. DeGeorge said. He added that over the weekend the number of households without electricity in the city rose to 20,000.

Buffalo Niagara International Airport and all county offices in Erie County were closed Tuesday.

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