At least 30 people have been killed in weather-related incidents in the U.S. in the week, according to NBC News tally, since blizzards in most parts of the country plus cold winds from the Great Lakes. CNN has reported a total of 26 deaths from the weather.
Most of the victims fell around Buffalo on the shores of Lake Erie in western New York, where the driving ban remains in effect due to heavy "lake-effect" snow -- the result of cold air moving over warmer lake waters -- and the deadly chill continued over the holiday weekend.
Official at Erie, Mark Poloncarz, said the death toll from the storm more than doubled to seven from three nights in the Buffalo area. Four people reported dead on Sunday morning including some found in cars and some in snow mounds, Poloncarz said, adding that the death toll may still be rising.
Hundreds of motorists in Erie were trapped in their vehicles over the weekend, with National Guard troops called in to help with rescues, Poloncarz said.
"This is not the Christmas we were hoping for," Poloncarz said on Twitter on Sunday. "My deepest condolences to the families who have lost a loved one."
Christina Klaffka, a 39-year-old North Buffalo resident, watched as strong wind roofs damaged the roofs of her neighbor's home and her entire county without electricity until Sunday morning.
John Burns, 58, a retiree in North Buffalo, said he and his family were trapped in their home for 36 hours by storms and cold weather that he called "cruel and evil."
"No one came out. No one even goes for a walk with their dog," she said. "Nothing happened for two days."
The total snowfall is difficult to measure, he added, because of strong winds that reduce accumulation between homes, but piles up currents as high as 5 feet "in front of my garage".