The entrance to my front door currently
The Christmas weekend was full of chaos and danger in some parts of North America. A massive winter storm hit the United States and Canada. Dozens of people have lost their lives. Thousands of flights have been canceled. And many are without power.
One of the places that was the most hard-hit was Buffalo, a city of 277k in the Western part of the state of New York. Bored Panda has collected some of the most powerful posts that show how threatening and dangerous the storm really is. You’ll find them below.
New York State Governor Kathy Hochul has dubbed the storm “epic, once-in-a-lifetime” and likened it to a “war zone,” as winds reached up to 80 miles per hour (nearly 129 km per hour) in Buffalo.
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At the time of writing, the Arctic freeze had caused dozens of deaths in North America. CNN reported on Monday that at least 37 people have lost their lives in the US. Meanwhile, the BBC stated that 38 people have died in the US and Canada. Update: by Tuesday morning, the number of people who lost their lives stood at 56.
The very worst-hit area was the city of Buffalo, in New York. Some western parts of the state got up to 43 inches (nearly 109 cm) of snow.
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In Oklahoma, one family turned on their water and watched as the drip immediately turned into icicles in their sink
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Ice skating in the streets of Seattle
Reuters states that at least 13 lost their lives in Buffalo, up from the 3 who were reported before.
According to Mark Poloncarz, the Erie County Executive, the latest victims were found in cars and in snow banks. Poloncarz warned that there would likely be more victims.
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Four people died in Canada, near the town of Merritt, in British Columbia, the country’s western province. A bus had rolled over on an icy road.
According to forecasters, everyone in affected areas should avoid traveling unless absolutely necessary. They note that the blizzard should weaken over the next few days.
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The size of the storm is absolutely massive. Its effects can be felt as far as the Rio Grande in the southern US.
The blizzard has had some very wide effects on North America. CNN reports that as of late Sunday evening, over 2.8k flights “within, into, or out of the United States were already canceled.” Temperatures dropped to -50 degrees F (-45.5 degrees C) in Montana, in the western US.
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Frozen garage door that I could not for the life of me open this -41 temp is not it
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Meanwhile, the BBC notes that power is steadily being restored to Americans all over the country. AP reported that 1.7 million people were affected by blackouts caused by the storm. That number went down to 200k by Sunday afternoon.
However, in Quebec, Canada, almost 120k people were without electricity on Sunday.
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The outlet is freezing again
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I guess my drains froze up? My house is now full of freezing water. Happy Christmas Eve, everyone
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Bored Panda has warned about the dangers of hypothermia before. Some of the signs and symptoms of hypothermia include: shivering, exhaustion, confusion, memory loss, drowsiness, slurred speech, and fumbling hands. If you notice these, you need to find a safe place to get warm as soon as humanly possible.
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According to the CDC, the people most at risk of hypothermia include older adults who don’t have access to adequate food, clothing, or heating; babies sleeping in cold bedrooms; and anyone who remains outdoors for long periods of time.
It is vital that you get warm as soon as you can. Drink warm liquids, but try to avoid drinking alcohol. Remove wet clothing. Use dry blankets to warm yourself up, as well as anyone else that’s cold. Seek medical assistance as soon as possible.
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This is how it’s cold in Buffalo, NY
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I guess I’m not traveling today
People with hypothermia may be unconscious and may not appear to have a pulse or be breathing. The CDC stresses: “Perform CPR, even if the person appears dead. CPR should continue until the person responds or medical aid becomes available. Keep warming the person while performing CPR. In some cases, hypothermia victims who appear to be dead can be successfully resuscitated.”
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Anyone else in the Frozen Pipes Club this weekend?
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Has the blizzard affected you in some way, dear Pandas? Do you know anyone living in the worst-affected areas in the US and Canada? What is the very worst blizzard that you’ve ever faced? Share your thoughts in the comments. Stay warm. Stay safe.
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The way ice formed around my rain chain
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It’s so cold here that our door handle is frozen on the inside
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It’s so cold my window has ice build up
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It’s a little cold for running in Canada right now
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A frozen driveway and road in Oregon
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Frozen tree. It was a project from some students to research if and how a tree could grow without ground but the tree got a bit frozen in the winter lol
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