US President Joe Biden has declared a state of emergency in New York, badly affected by the ‘historic’ snow storm. He ordered agencies to provide federal assistance to the disaster-hit province. The White House said in a statement issued late Monday that President Biden has declared an emergency given the severe snowfall in New York State since December 23.
All Emergency Services and Help
According to the statement, “Following the presidential order, the Department of Homeland Security and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) have been empowered to provide all emergency services and assistance to the people of the province during this difficult time.”
Governor Cathy Hochul urged President Biden to declare a state of emergency, saying that conditions in the province had become like a war zone. Hundreds of vehicles are parked on the side of the roads. People have started worrying about their lives.
Increase In Storms Due To Climate Change
Several state highways in New York have been closed. The people of Lake Ontario and Lake Erie, facing heavy snowfall, expect no respite in the coming days. It snowed three inches per hour on Monday. The speed of the snowstorm in New York and the northern region is more than 95 kilometres per hour. According to the AP, the death toll from Monday’s blizzard in north New York rose to 28. Scientists say that storms have increased due to climate change.
According to Mark Scherz, director of the National Snow and Ice Data Center at the University of Colorado, ‘this is happening because the presence of water vapour in the atmosphere has increased.’ A snowstorm is also called a ‘bomb cyclone’. This happens when the atmospheric pressure decreases. Due to the snowstorm two days ago, the mercury dropped to minus 45 degree Celsius in some parts of Montana and New York.
50 Inches Of Snow At Buffalo Airport
According to Reuters, Buffalo, located on the banks of Lake Erie on the Canadian border, is one of the most affected areas. According to the National Weather Service, the Buffalo airport had 50 inches (127 cm) of snow on Monday morning.
According to wivb.com, the snow removal work from the airport will likely continue till Wednesday morning. Due to the non-availability of ambulances, special measures are being taken to take people to the hospital. When some grocery shops opened on Monday after several days of closure, there were one to one and a half kilometres long queues.
3,800 Flights Cancelled, Over 7,100 Delayed
More than 3,800 domestic and international flights were cancelled in the US on Monday, including about 2,800 flights by Southwest Airlines. More than 7,100 flights were delayed across the US.
