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Deadliest US winter storms of recent decades

Deadliest US winter storms of recent decades

Agence France-Presse

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People clear their driveways of snow as the effects of a massive winter storm which has affected large portions of the United States, continues in Buffalo, New York, USA, Dec. 25, 2022. Much of the United States is currently experiencing some sort of winter weather as a result of the large storm which was generated by a bomb cyclone, the meteorological phenomenon when the atmospheric pressure quickly drops in a strong storm. Josh Thermidor, EPA-EFE 
People clear their driveways of snow as the effects of a massive winter storm which has affected large portions of the United States, continues in Buffalo, New York, USA, Dec. 25, 2022. Much of the United States is currently experiencing some sort of winter weather as a result of the large storm which was generated by a bomb cyclone, the meteorological phenomenon when the atmospheric pressure quickly drops in a strong storm. Josh Thermidor, EPA-EFE

WASHINGTON — The winter storm that has left much of the eastern United States in a deep freeze and killed nearly 50 people is one of the deadliest in the country in the past three decades.

The nationwide toll of deaths related to the days-long storm has so far risen to 47 people across 9 states, with at least 25 perishing in western New York's Erie County.

Here are some previous winter storms and cold snaps since 1993.

2021: A deadly cold snap

A deadly cold snap hit Canada, the US and Mexico from Feb. 13-19, paralyzing parts of the southern and central United States and claiming more than 70 lives, media reports said.

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It also left millions of Americans struggling without electricity.

Across the southern border in Mexico six people died.

2016: 'Snowzilla'

A blizzard dubbed "Snowzilla" blanketed the US East Coast, especially New York, from January 22-24.

It was blamed for at least 33 deaths as it slammed much of the coast.

More than 11,000 flights were canceled.

Some 27 inches of snow fell in New York's Central Park, the second-highest accumulation since records began in 1869. In Washington, Dulles International Airport was buried under 22 inches of snow in 24 hours.

2007: Cold snap kills 42

A cold snap accompanied by ice and snow left 42 dead in mid-January, most of them dying in traffic accidents on slick roads in Oklahoma, Texas, Missouri, Iowa, Michigan, New York and Maine.

1996: 'Blizzard 1996'

A big Eastern Seaboard snowstorm from Jan. 7-9 left dozens dead, most of them in road accidents. It was dubbed "Blizzard 1996" by the press.

It was followed days later by another storm, and then by flooding.

The blizzard caused 154 deaths, directly or indirectly, according to the US National Weather Service (NWS).

1993: 'Storm of the Century'

On March 13-14, what was dubbed the "Storm of the Century" dumped record snowfalls up and down the US East Coast, leaving 270 dead, according to the NWS.

Most of the deaths came in the states of Pennsylvania, Florida, New York, North Carolina, and even Alabama in the Deep South.

In addition, 5 people died in Canada, 3 in Cuba and 5 in international waters off Florida.

The latter state recorded 50 tornadoes, 30-foot waves off the coast, and 4 feet of snow in some areas.

Two cargo ships and their crews were lost: a Liberian-flagged ship with 32 on board off the east coast of Canada and a Honduran vessel with 16 crew members off Florida.

Many of the storm's casualties, mostly elderly, were killed by the biting cold; some suffered heart attacks while shoveling snow or clearing ice.

© Agence France-Presse

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