The United States and Canada have been hit by an unprecedented polar cold wave in recent decades.
Vatican News
Photo: William Topa via Unsplash
Nine states devastated by a rare Arctic storm that has killed at least 38 people in the United States and Canada since last Wednesday, the 21st, and left tens of thousands without power.
Much of North America was affected by the polar cold snap, with winds driving through it causing heavy snowfall, especially in the Great Lakes region. The Rio Grande region along the Mexican border was also affected.
The most affected state is New York. Around 200,000 residents were left without power on the afternoon of Christmas Day. Some of the victims were found locked in their cars, others in the street, covered in snow. The fear is that the death toll is rising, with people stuck in their cars for more than two days and others locked in their homes in freezing temperatures due to lack of electricity. Although a traffic ban was issued on Friday the 23rd, hundreds of people were still on the move.
The worst storm in decades
New York State Governor Kathy Hochul called on the National Guard to action, citing a “serious crisis” and the worst winter storm “in 60 years.”
In Buffalo, one of the hardest-hit cities, two days of heavy snowfall and high winds have created conditions that local officials say are likely the worst since 1977. Residents have been urged to stay home due to impassable roads while the city’s airport remains closed. Depending on the weather, a lot of snow should still fall, between 30 and 60 centimeters.
Cold and snow from Canada to Texas
The storm also hit Canada, where a bus crash on an icy road left at least four people dead and dozens injured in British Columbia, authorities said. More than 150,000 people were without power, mainly in Ontario and Quebec. All trains from Toronto to Ottawa and Montreal were suspended on Christmas Day due to a train derailment, according to the Canadian Rail Service.
In other US cities, such as Denver and Chicago, shelters were opened for those who needed to stay warm and protect themselves from hypothermia. In El Paso, Texas, desperate migrants from Mexico crowded into churches, schools and a mid-level civic center.
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