BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — At least seven people died during the blizzard in Western New York, with four additional deaths confirmed overnight, Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz said Sunday morning
“There may be more,” Poloncarz said during a storm response briefing. “I don’t want to say this is going to be it, because that would be fallacy for me to say that. Because we know there are people stuck in cars for more than two days. And there are people in homes that are below freezing now temperatures.”
3rd storm-related death reported in Erie County
Poloncarz did not disclose details for the deaths discovered overnight on Christmas Eve.
“I don’t have the exact total of how they were found,” Poloncarz said. “I do know that some were found in cars and some were found actually on the street in snowbanks. I offer my deepest condolences to the families, some of them probably have not been actually notified yet.”
Winter storm conditions continue for Christmas
Poloncarz asserted Sunday that a driving ban remains in Erie County. Road conditions were so bad on Saturday that Buffalo Fire Department vehicles could not answer calls. According to a historian, this is the first that has happened during a winter storm, Poloncarz said.