A winter storm accompanied by polar winds, which has been covering the central and eastern parts of the United States for several days, has killed almost 50 people and left tens of thousands of Americans without electricity for Christmas, according to AFP.

RENEWAL: The death toll from a severe snowstorm wreaking havoc in the United States has risen to 25 in Erie County alone, located in western New York state, one of the hardest hit in America, a local official said on Monday, AFP reports. The balance of deaths confirmed by the authorities of American states thus increases to 47, reports news.ro.

In Buffalo, the accumulated layer of snow in some places reaches three meters in height, reports Agerpres. Some of the victims were found in cars, and others were found on the street in the snow.

Starting Wednesday evening, the United States was hit by a rare storm that brought polar winds that caused widespread snowfall, especially in the Great Lakes region.

“This is not the Christmas we wanted,” said Mark Poloncarz, an Erie County official who believes there could be more deaths in his county.

“There are people stuck in cars for more than two days, and others in houses where the temperature is very low,” he warned.

People are stuck in their cars

Although a curfew was imposed in the region on Friday, hundreds of people remained stuck in their private cars.

Rescue teams went from car to car Sunday to see “if they could find bodies,” CNN’s Mark Poloncarz told CNN.

“This is a major crisis,” acknowledged New York Gov. Cathy Hochul, a Buffalo native who has mobilized the National Guard.

“We’ve seen every winter storm in the last 60 years,” she said. “This is the worst.”

Power will be fully restored in Buffalo on Monday, Poloncarz said, advising residents to stay indoors as roads remain impassable. The city’s international airport will be closed until Tuesday.

Snow and frost

According to the latest NWS bulletin, 12 to 20 inches of snow is expected overnight.

“Much of the eastern United States will be bitterly cold through Monday, with frost beginning to ease Tuesday,” the latest NWS bulletin said.

“The winds are so strong” that the snow is deformed like “sand dunes,” it’s “crazy,” said Ali Lawson, 34, who has lived in Buffalo for eight years.

More than 48,000 homes were still without power Sunday on the East Coast, where the storm initially left about 150,000 homes without power, according to Poweroutage.us.

Thousands of canceled flights

More than 3,000 flights were canceled on Sunday, in addition to about 3,500 canceled on Saturday and another 6,000 on Friday, according to the flight-tracking website Flightaware.com.

In cities such as Denver and Chicago, shelters have been opened for people who need to stay warm and protect them from the risk of hypothermia.

In El Paso, Texas, migrants from Mexico have found refuge in churches, schools and community centers, explained Rosa Falcon, a teacher and volunteer.

Some decided to stay outside and brave the cold for fear of attracting the attention of immigration authorities, she added.

The storm also hit Canada

The storm also affected Canada, where a bus accident on an icy road in British Columbia killed at least four people and injured several dozen.

More than 150,000 people were also left without electricity, especially in Ontario and Quebec.

All rail service from Toronto to Ottawa and Montreal was also suspended on Christmas Day after the train derailed, Canadian Rail said.