Christmas blizzard update: Death toll at 34 for Erie County, officials say

Buffalo, N.Y. — The number of storm-related deaths in Erie County is 34 as of 10 a.m. Wednesday, officials said.

Three of the recovered bodies are unidentified, Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz said during a news conference. Two are men and one is a woman, he said. If a loved one is missing, call the police, he said.

Of the deaths, 26 were in the city, seven in the suburbs, and one was found at an unknown location, Poloncarz said.

The mayor of Buffalo, Byron Brown, provided a different death toll for the city. He said the city had 28 storm-related deaths an hour later at a news conference.

Road clearance is a huge focus for today, Poloncarz said. The county is aiming to have at least one lane of every main road plowed by 7 p.m. tonight.

Brown said 70% of the streets in the city are clear and they are looking to open the city tomorrow.

The storm dropped up to 4 feet of snow on Erie County and Buffalo. Thousands were without power, right before Christmas.

Around 800 National Grid customers are still without power in the county, Poloncarz said. All NYSEG customers have had their power restored, he said.

In neighborhoods that lost power for an extended amount of time, the National Guard will knock on doors to check on people.

Sixty-five people were recused by police, Commissioner Joe Gramaglia said. Deputy Fire Commissioner Ramon Suarez said there were 15 house fires in the city throughout the storm.

The storm “may be the worst storm in recorded history” Brown said.

Staff writer Rylee Kirk covers breaking news, crime and public safety. Have a tip, story idea, photo, question or comment? Reach her at 315-396-5961, on Twitter @kirk_rylee, or [email protected].