More than 60 people have lost their lives across the United States in the deadly Snowstorm

From Dreamsforce.com

The death toll in the New York city of Buffalo has risen to 28, with thousands still without power amid a winter storm that has hit North America.

In the US, at least 62 deaths have been confirmed in nine states.

In Buffalo, a state official said military police had been called in to help direct traffic in the city, which is under a driving ban.

Looting was reported in various parts of the city during the Emergency.

Officials say conditions are improving, with very little snow Tuesday and slightly warmer weather on the way.

However, the death toll is expected to rise as the search operation continues.

Earlier, Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown said some people were stranded for more than two days during what was "probably" the worst storm of their lives.

New York's Erie County — which includes Buffalo — was one of the worst-hit areas of the winter storm, which stretched from Canada to the Mexican border. More than 4,000 people in the area were without power, from a peak of more than 20,000.

Buffalo-based Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz said 100 troopers and other state police have been called in to help direct traffic in the area, where conditions on many local roads are "nasty."

Buffalo Police Commissioner Joseph Gragmalia said the looting "is still going on." Four people have been arrested so far.

"These are not people who steal food, medicine, and diapers," he said. "They destroy shops. They steal TVs, sofas, and anything they can get their hands on. They're opportunists.

"US President Joe Biden on Monday approved an emergency declaration allowing federal support for New York state. "My heart goes out to those who lost loved ones this holiday weekend," he tweeted.

The neighboring state of New Jersey dispatched emergency services to New York state to provide additional assistance.

State Gov. Cathy Hochul, who lives in Buffalo, described the storm as "the blizzard of the century."

“It's [like] going to a battlefield and the vehicles on the side of the road are shocked.

"He added that many emergency vehicles could not reach the worst affected areas or got stuck in the snow themselves.

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New York state officials said rescue workers went from car to car searching for survivors of the storm, finding bodies in cars and snowdrifts.

After others died of cardiac arrest while plowing snow, the state of Buffalo issued a "Shovel Smart" warning, letting people know that overexertion while plowing snow could lead to heart attacks or back injuries, Mr. Polonkarz said. While three more deaths had been confirmed by Tuesday morning, the two previously reported deaths were "not related to the storm", he added.

A local family with young children - aged between two and six - had to wait 11 hours before being rescued early on Christmas Day (Sunday).

"I was just hopeless," father Zila Santiago told dreamsforce.com News. He said he was able to stay warm by running the engine and playing games with the kids to stay out of trouble.

Dietzack Ilunga of Gaithersburg, Maryland, told CBS News that he and his daughters were visiting relatives in Hamilton, Ont. when their SUV got stuck in Buffalo.

After hours with the engine running, he desperately decided to risk the howling storm to get to the nearest shelter.

He carried six-year-old Destiny on his back, while 16-year-old Cindy clutched their Pomeranian puppy and followed his tracks in the drifts.

"If I stay in this car, I will die here with my children," thought Mr. Ilunga.

She said she cried as the family walked through the shelter's doors. "It's something I'll never forget in my life," he said.

Meanwhile, the owner of a small family store in East Buffalo, who did not want to be named, said robbers broke into his general store on Christmas Day.

"They took everything. People took toys, electronics, and speakers," he said.

He estimated $50,000 (£41,000) worth of equipment was stolen. He said he called the police "but they told me they were too busy rescuing old people".

Mr. Poloncarz said: "We see the light at the end of the tunnel, but it's not over yet."

"This is a generational whirlwind," he added.

Winter storms like "bomb cyclones," which occur when atmospheric pressure drops, causing heavy snowfall and winds, have disrupted travel across the United States.

About 4,000 US flights were canceled on Monday, according to the tracking website Flightaware.com. Another 4,600 flights were canceled by mid-morning ET on Tuesday.

An estimated 250,000 homes and businesses experienced power outages over the weekend - although power was gradually being restored.

Deaths related to the storm were also reported in Vermont, Ohio, Missouri, Wisconsin, Kansas, and Colorado. Temperatures in South Florida have dropped so low that iguanas have frozen and fallen from trees.

The western American state of Montana was worst hit by the cold, where temperatures dropped to -45 °C.

In Canada, the storm hit central Ontario and northeastern Quebec.

Ontario's Prince Edward County on Lake Ontario declared a state of emergency and had to take snowplows off the roads because they were in danger of getting stuck, Mayor Steve Ferguson told dreamsforce.com News.