The President of the United States, Joe Biden, approved on Monday the declaration of a state of emergency in New York due to the heavy snowfalls that have hit the state for several days and that have left nearly two meters of accumulated snow.
The area most affected by the inclement weather has been the city of Buffalo, in western New York State and on the shores of Lake Erie, where traffic has been cut off on numerous roads due to road conditions.
Biden has authorized the Department of Homeland Security and the Federal Emergency Management Agency to coordinate response operations to address «the hardship and suffering caused by the emergency to the local population».
The tenant of the White House thus responds to the request of the recently re-elected governor of New York, Democrat Kathy Hochul, who already on Friday asked for the application of the state of emergency.
«This is considered an extreme event, an extreme weather event. That means it’s dangerous. It also means it’s life-threatening,» Hochul told a news conference, according to The Hill.
So far, two people in New York state have been confirmed dead from cardiac events while working to remove the massive amount of snow accumulated on public roads.