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Erie County has been beset by thick sheets of snow.

The United States is currently in the midst of a wide-spreading, intense cold snap, bringing major temperature drops as far as Florida and multiple feet of snow up north. One of the states at the epicenter of this cold front is New York, specifically Erie County, where the record-breaking cold has led to the deaths of 25 residents.

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul told CNN the storm is the “most devastating storm in Buffalo’s long storied history” as blizzard conditions completely eliminate outdoor visibility, choke the streets with snow, and freeze up vulnerable power substations. On Christmas Day, snow plow drivers were just as essential in emergency response as ambulances and fire trucks, as they were the only ones who could clear the roads and dig out buried vehicles.

“We had to send specialized rescue crews to go get the rescuers,” Mark Poloncarz, the executive of Erie County, which includes Buffalo, told CNN this morning. “It was just horrendous, and it was horrendous for 24 hours in a row.”

New York is in a state of emergency. #WinterStorm #Blizzard pic.twitter.com/fJsoQksgth

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“We’re used to snow here, we can handle snow,” he added. “But with the wind, the blinding views – it was complete whiteouts – and the extreme cold, it was some of the worst conditions that any of us have ever seen.”

Winter storm warnings are still in effect in the northeastern United States, and are expected to remain until around Wednesday.