Death toll from historic blizzard in western New York rises to 27

The death toll from a Buffalo-area blizzard rose to 27 in western New York, authorities said Monday, as the region reeled from one of the worst weather-related disasters in its history. Much of the rest of the United States was hit by ferocious winter conditions.

Those who lost their lives around Buffalo were found in cars, homes and snowbanks. Some died while shovelling snow, others when emergency crews could not respond in time to medical crises.

President Joe Biden said his prayers were with the victims' families, and offered federal assistance Monday to the hard-hit state.

Nationwide, the storm is blamed for at least 50 deaths, with rescue and recovery efforts ongoing Monday.

Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz described the blizzard as "the worst storm probably in our lifetime" and warned there might be more dead. Some people, he noted, were stranded in their cars for more than two days.

"It's just a horrible situation that we can see sort of the light at the end of the tunn