Dozens of Americans fell victim to Storm Elliott, which brought temperatures down to -40 degrees in the northeast of the country over Christmas. The situation in the city of Buffalo was particularly dramatic.
Vehicles stranded in snowstorm in Buffalo area.
Of the Winter Storm Elliott has claimed more than 30 lives in the United States. The icy wind and heavy snowfall caused a situation, especially in the north-east of the country, over the Christmas period that also pushed the fire brigade, police and other rescue services to their limits. In some places, especially in the Great Lakes area and along the Canadian border, record temperatures of -40 degrees were measured. According to “Meteo News”, temperatures in many parts of the USA were more than 20 degrees below the average for this time of year.
Rapid temperature drop, icing and gusts
It was also unusual how quickly the temperatures dropped. In Denver, for example, the thermometer fell 35 degrees in 24 hours, from 9 to -26 degrees. Wet roads quickly and unexpectedly turned icy. Around a dozen states, including New York, North Carolina and Kentucky, declared a state of emergency, and Colorado soldiers mobilized to help the population. The situation is particularly threatening for the many homeless people. Warming centers have been opened for them in Chicago, Denver and other cities.
200 million Americans received severe weather warnings. As of December 23, citizens were warned that even a few minutes outdoors in such cold weather could result in frostbite or life-threatening frostbite. The responsible authorities also reminded citizens to open the taps slightly to avoid pipe bursts.
Many Americans who wanted to visit their relatives, as they do every year, got stuck on the snowy roads. Poor visibility and the unrecognizable course of the road («whiteout») meant that many got lost and ended up somewhere off the beaten track. Often even snow plows and towing services could no longer get through. Several Americans died in traffic accidents. According to the flight data website “Flightaware”, almost 6,000 flights were already canceled on Friday, and thousands were stranded in the airports.
In Lake Erie in the north-east of the country there were waves up to 8 meters high, on the lake shore gusts of wind swept over some towns at up to 120 kilometers per hour.
Power outages and overloaded emergency calls
In many places, the water pipes burst because of the arctic temperatures; 1.6 million people were affected by power cuts, according to the “Power Outage” website, which could quickly become life-threatening due to the failed heating. Residents in several major cities have been urged to turn down the thermostats to conserve electricity and to stay home during power outages. Citizens were also asked to only call 911 in life-threatening situations because it was so overloaded.
President Biden urged Americans not to travel despite Christmas. Even regions like Florida and the Gulf Coast, where some Americans flee the harsh North for the holiday season, have been hit by the cold.
Emergency in Buffalo
The situation was worst in the region around the city Buffalo with about 280,000 inhabitants in the state of New York on the shore of Lake Erie. More than a meter of snow fell there on Sunday morning, front doors disappeared behind drifts up to 2.4 meters high, many could no longer leave their houses, and there was no way to get through to the hospital. The situation was so dramatic that even rescue workers had to be rescued. Buffalo Niagara International Airport is expected to remain closed until Tuesday.
Frozen shoreline on Lake Erie.
According to the New York Times, 12 people died in the city of Buffalo alone. That oldest victim was 93 years old, the youngest was 26. The bodies were found in homes and on the street, Erie County executive Mark Poloncarz said. New York governor Kathy Hochul spoke of a “crisis of epic proportions”.
After the «bomb cyclone» warming
From a meteorological point of view, “Elliott” was a so-called “bomb cyclone”. Cold air from the Arctic Ocean and Siberia met milder mid-latitude air. This resulted in a sharp drop in pressure within a short period of time, triggering winds and precipitation.
During the course of Monday, however, the cold front shifted in the direction of southeastern Canada. Extraordinary warming is again forecast for the next few days in the USA. In Chicago, where it was -22 degrees on December 23 and felt like -37 degrees, the thermometer is expected to rise again to 11 degrees on Thursday, and in New York to 15 degrees on Sunday, which is also unusual for this time of year. This December should not only go down in history as one of the coldest, but also as one with the most extreme temperature fluctuations.