At least 28 people have died in Erie and Niagara counties due to the blizzard, officials have confirmed.
Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz said late Monday afternoon that the county medical examiner has confirmed a total of 27 storm-related deaths in the county.
New York State, Erie County and Buffalo officials said Monday they were well-prepared with staffing, equipment and supplies heading into the blizzard that hit Western New York over the holiday weekend. The problem was, at the height of the deadly storm, there wasn't much they could do because conditions were so bad.
And Niagara County on Sunday reported one confirmed storm death:Ā A 27-year-old Lockport man who was pronounced dead Sunday from apparent carbon monoxide poisoning.
In the City of Buffalo alone, Buffalo police spokesperson Michael J. DeGeorge said that the storm-related death toll in the city now stands at 20 people.Ā
"The Buffalo Police Department has retrieved 18 of these precious souls," Mayor Byron W. Brown said at a 12:30 p.m. Monday storm briefing. "That is not an easy thing to do. Our police officers are human. It is painful to find members of your community that are deceased."
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"This has been a very difficult and dangerous storm," he added. "It's been described as a once-in-a-generation storm and everything that has been forecast we have gotten in the City of Buffalo and then some."
Of the 27 deaths in Erie County, Poloncarz said 14 were found outside; four were from having no heat; three were from an EMS delay; three were found in a vehicle; and three were from cardiac events during shoveling or snowblowing.
Cars return to the roads in Buffalo on Christmas Day after a blizzard.
Jon Harris can be reached at 716-849-3482 or jharris@buffnews.com. Follow him on Twitter at @ByJonHarris.
