US winter storm traps New York State residents in cars

 As a massive winter storm continues to hit North America, at least 28 people have perished in western New York state, the most of them in Buffalo.

A state official claimed that during what was "possibly" the worst storm of their lifetime, several people had been stranded in their vehicles for more than two days.

On Tuesday, up to nine more inches (23 cm) of snow are predicted in some areas of the state, according to meteorologists.

There have been 56 fatalities associated with the storm, which has affected Canada and Mexico.

An emergency declaration permitting federal assistance for New York State was approved by US President Joe Biden. His tweet read, "My heart is with those who lost loved ones this holiday weekend."

State Governor Kathy Hochul, a native of Buffalo, described the storm as "the blizzard of the century".

"It is [like] going to a war zone, and the vehicles along the sides of the roads are shocking."

She added that many emergency vehicles had been unable to reach worst-hit areas or had got stuck in snow themselves.

One local family with young children - aged two to six - had to wait for 11 hours before being rescued in the early hours of Christmas Day (Sunday).

"I was basically just hopeless," the father, Zila Santiago, told CBS News. He said he managed to stay warm by keeping the engine running, and kept distress at bay by playing games with the children.

Ditjak Ilunga from Gaithersburg, Maryland, told CBS News he was on his way to visit relatives in Hamilton, Ontario, with his daughters when their SUV was trapped in Buffalo.

After spending hours with the engine running he made the desperate choice to risk the howling storm to reach a nearby shelter.

He carried six-year-old Destiny on his back while 16-year-old Cindy clutched their Pomeranian puppy, and followed his footprints in the snow drifts.

"If I stay in this car I'm going to die here with my kids," Mr Ilunga recalled thinking.

He said he cried when the family walked through the shelter doors. "It's something I will never forget in my life," he said.

Meanwhile, the owner of a small family-run shop in East Buffalo, who didn't want to be named, said looters broke into his general store on Christmas Day.

"They took everything. People took toys, electronics and speakers," he said.

He estimated up to $50,000 (£41,000) worth of equipment was stolen. He said he called the police, "but they told me they were too busy rescuing the elderly".

we can sort of see the light at the end of the tunnel, but this is not the end yet, according to mark poloncarz, the executive for erie county, where buffalo is located.

he continued, "it's a generational storm, many of the deceased, according to mr. poloncarz, died from heart problems while shoveling or blowing snow, citing the local medical examiner's office. some of the dead were discovered inside their car.

once melting snowdrifts disclose stuck vehicles and open up remote dwellings, more victims should be found travel across the us has been hampered by the "bomb cyclone" winter storm, which happens when atmospheric pressure drops and produces strong winds and heavy snowfall.d.s.."nowfall.

Nearly 4,000 US flights were cancelled on Monday, according to tracking site Flightaware.com.

Forecasters say bad weather will ease in the next few days, but the advice remains to avoid travelling.

Over the weekend an estimated 250,000 homes and businesses experienced blackouts - although power has been steadily restored.

Storm-related deaths were also reported in Vermont, Ohio, Missouri, Wisconsin, Kansas, and Colorado. South Florida's temperatures dropped so low, that iguanas froze and fell from trees.

The western US state of Montana was the worst hit by the cold, with temperatures dropping to -50F (-45C)

Canada's eastern province of Quebec and the central state of Ontario took the worst of the storm.

According to Mayor Steve Ferguson of Ontario's Prince Edward County, which is located near Lake Ontario, the county issued a state of emergency and had to remove snow ploughs from the streets because they were in risk of becoming trapped.

In the western province of British Columbia, a bus slid over on an ice road close to the town of Merritt, resulting in four fatalities.