JOHN NORMILE/Getty Images via AFP
(Photo taken in Buffalo on December 28 after the passage of the storm Eliott in the United States)
USA – A (dangerous) thaw after the storm. The United States slowly emerged this Wednesday, December 28, from a historic storm, the “blizzard of the century,” which killed at least 59 people in just a few days. As Storm Eliott passes, temperatures rise.
According to the weather forecast, it will be up to 10°C on Thursday in Chicago, 9°C in New York or 7 to 9°C in Buffalo on Friday. A temperature difference that makes you dizzy, while yesterday the temperatures again in Buffalo were up to -55 degrees.
Warmer weather is on the way, with above normal temperatures expected over the next two weeks. Highlights will be in… https://t.co/8BuYU4OkWk
— NWS Buffalo (@NWSBUFFALO)
“ Warmer weather is on the way, with above normal temperatures expected over the next two weeks […] many places will exceed 10 degrees Celsius on Friday “Noticing this weather channel.
With the thaw comes the risk of flooding
After this deadly storm, this thaw is certainly a relief, but it’s also a harbinger of another threat: flooding. “As temperatures warm, we expect snowmelt and possible flooding from rapid melting”, warned Mark Poloncarz, an official for Erie County, where the city of Buffalo is located. The latter was particularly affected by the winter storm Eliott.
New York State Governor Kathy Hochul has asked various local agencies to prepare in anticipation of“potentially dangerous flooding”. Water pumps, generators and sandbags were ready for distribution, including to Erie County, according to a statement.
On Wednesday, the National Guard went door to door in areas where power had not yet been restored to make sure residents were safe, Mark Poloncarz tweeted. The driving ban still in place in Buffalo is expected to be lifted Thursday morning, with most roads cleared, the city’s mayor Byron Brown said on CNN Wednesday.
In recent days, some have criticized the county’s response to the announced storm, arguing that this ban should have been enacted earlier.
As I said earlier today in response to whether the driving ban should have been introduced earlier, I don’t know… https://t.co/gJAe5wDJfm
— Mark Poloncarz (@markpoloncarz)
“I don’t know if it would have changed anything, but it was my decision and I take full responsibility for it”responded Mark Poloncarz.
Hanging off blizzard of the century »
Heavy snowfalls, freezing winds, sudden drops in temperature… Even in regions accustomed to harsh winters, bad weather has wreaked havoc, to the point that rescue teams have sometimes been stranded.
Erie County in New York state, near the Canadian border, alone accounted for 37 of the country’s at least 59 storm-related deaths, according to a new tally Wednesday.
People have died because they had no heating at home in the freezing cold, authorities say. Others were found dead in their cars or on the street. By Christmas, the cold was felt to varying degrees in large parts of the country, including Texas and Florida, unaccustomed to such weather conditions.
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