- In the USA, the effects of Arctic storm “Elliott” overshadowed this year’s Christmas celebrations.
- In both the US and Canada, people continue to struggle with temperatures that have dropped to minus 40 degrees Celsius in some regions.
- So far, 47 people have died in connection with extreme cold, freezing winds and heavy snowfall.
With icy winds and severe rapid falls, the situation was life-threatening in some places, especially in the region around the Great Lakes in the north-east of the USA and on the border with Canada.
The lowest temperature was measured on Sunday night at minus 33.9 degrees Celsius in the state of North Dakota west of the Great Lakes, according to the weather service. Travelers were once again called upon to exercise extreme caution and were warned of so-called whiteout conditions – i.e. severely restricted visibility and a lack of orientation due to the snow.
Many people were stuck in their homes and cars. At times, the police and fire brigade were unable to respond to emergency calls.
Exact number of dead still unclear
47 deaths are currently being reported – 25 of them in the US state of New York alone. US President Joe Biden pledged federal aid to New York Governor Kathy Hochul on Monday. “My heart goes out to those who have lost a loved one,” he said. Rescue workers and officials expected the number of victims to continue to rise.
The winter storm has North America firmly in its grip
The freezing cold also claimed lives in Canada: in the state of British Columbia in western Canada, at least four people died in an accident involving a coach. The bus probably went off the road because of black ice, said the Canadian police.
Hundreds of thousands without electricity – chaos at airports
According to the Poweroutage website, more than 170,000 households in the United States were without power as of early Sunday morning. In New York City, electric utilities called on people to save energy.
The Arctic cold front also messed up the Christmas plans of many travelers: According to the flight data website Flightaware, more than 10,000 flights were canceled from Friday to Sunday. Chaos reigned at many airports. Some have been temporarily closed.
Similar conditions also prevail in Canada, neighboring the United States to the north. Tens of thousands of households and companies were without power – hundreds of flights have been canceled so far. In addition, schools were closed. Canadian authorities are warning people not to go outside.
Migrants at the border are also affected
The effects of the cold spell were felt as far south as the United States. In view of the drop in temperatures, the situation also became serious for migrants on the border with Mexico, many of whom are currently camping on the streets of the border towns.
Many of them are waiting for a controversial deportation regulation to be lifted, which allows for quick deportation with reference to the corona pandemic. It was actually supposed to expire last week. The US government had asked the US Supreme Court for a delay until after Christmas.