Monster storm in US brings misery over Christmas weekend, over 30 dead

More than 30 people are reported dead as the United States sees the year ending with a brutal snowstorm, which has wreaked havoc in many parts of the country as well as Canada.

Millions across the US are braving the deep freeze, which has brought along with itself massive traffic snarls, and blackouts. The storm has brought misery during the Christmas weekend as tens of thousands of people had their holiday plan upended. Reports say the five-day-long storm – featuring blizzard conditions and ferocious winds – have shown signs of easing.

Here are top updates on the winter storm:

1) Stretching from the Great Lakes near Canada to the Rio Grande along the border with Mexico, the monster storm has caused unprecedented inconvenience to travellers and locals over the holiday weekend. Thousands of flights have been cancelled over the last few days.

2) About 60 per cent of the US population is said to be facing the weather warning and the temperatures have dropped sharply.

3) Emergency services continue to remain stuck in many parts. One of the worst hit areas is New York’s Buffalo. New York Governor Kathy Hochul was quoted as saying by news agency AP that “almost every fire truck in the city was stranded Saturday”. The airport would be shut through Tuesday morning, officials have informed.

4) Winds gusting up to 40 miles per hour and roads and streets packed with snow defined the scenes. The Buffalo storm is “a crisis of epic proportion” and “the worst of the worst,” said New York Governor Kathy Hochul, a native of Buffalo, told reporters.

5) Sub-zero temperature drop has been registered across 48 states in the US.