CNN
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At least 25 people have died in Erie County, New York, as a result of a massive winter storm which blasted much of the US in recent days, county officials said Monday, bringing the nationwide death toll to 47.
The updated number of deaths in Erie County, which includes the city of Buffalo, comes as parts of western New York remain buried by up to 43 inches of snow, leaving vehicles stuck and power out for thousands over the Christmas holiday, just one month after the region was slammed with a historic snowstorm.
“This is a horrible situation,” Erie County executive Mark Poloncarz said in a news conference, noting officials expect between 8 and 12 more inches of snow to fall between Monday morning and 1 p.m. Tuesday. “This is not helpful as we’re trying to recover and clear off streets and get into areas that still have not” been plowed, he said.
While driving bans have been lifted in some communities, one such ban remains in place in Buffalo, Poloncarz said, describing the city is “impassable in most areas,” with abandoned cars, trucks and vehicles scattered everywhere. Regardless, Erie County Sheriff John Garcia urged residents to stay home, he told CNN, to keep the roads clear for emergency crews.
Even emergency and recovery vehicles sent out to help have gotten stuck in the snow as rescue crews and hundreds of snowplow…
