“Forecasts predict up to another foot of snow to come to the Buffalo area, and one to two feet to come to the Watertown area, today and tomorrow. The storm is weakening, but we are not out of the woods yet. Do not take a chance. Stay home, stay off the roads, and stay safe,” New York Governor Kathy Hochul said on Twitter on Monday afternoon.
“State and local agencies, as well as @NationalGuardNY are continuing their heroic search & rescue efforts, with over 550 rescues accomplished so far. We pre-set resources across impacted areas before the storm so these first responders were ready to move when the storm cleared,” Hochul said in a subsequent tweet.
The announcement from Hochul comes shortly after areas in and around Buffalo were hit with a storm that brought several feet of snow and left hundreds without power. On Monday, Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz announced that at least 27 individuals had died due to the storm.
In a tweet on Sunday, the National Weather Service in Buffalo reported that 92.7 inches of snow was seen in the city.
“A very snowy start to the season, with lake effect events focusing upon the #Buffalo airport and vicinity. The 92.7 [inches] of snow is not only the most snow to start the winter season through #Christmas but also just 2.7 [inches] behind the typical entire seasonal snowfall,” the tweet said.
On Sunday, Hochul announced that a statewide state of emergency remains in effect due to the storm.
“We continue to work around the clock with local leaders to respond to this historic storm and are in contact with the White House to secure critical federal assistance to help our communities recover,” Hochul said in a statement. “I encourage everyone to continue to look after one another, stay off the roads and take precautions to stay safe in your home.”
In another tweet on Monday, the National Weather Service in Buffalo said, “Lake effect snow will continue through Tuesday northeast of Lake Erie and Lake Ontario. Additional accumulations of 6 to 12 inches are expected off Lake Erie in and near Buffalo, and 1 to 2 feet for Jefferson and northern Lewis counties.”
Several photos and videos posted across social media show how residents in the area were hit by the storm. One video captured the roof of a home covered in icicles.
Newsweek reached out to Hochul’s office for further comment.
