Homes trapped in thick ice have been revealed in drone video of Lake Erie as people across North America struggle to dig out after deadly snowstorms.
Frozen homes in Ontario took the brunt of the storms as they sit directly on the Canadian side of the lake.
An icy white blanket – which from a distance looks like the icing on the cake – covers the entire façade of the Fort Erie properties.
At least 65 people have died from the extreme weather, with the region in and around Buffalo, New York becoming ground zero for an Arctic freeze.
Confirmed deaths related to the storm in Erie and Niagara counties rose to 32 on Tuesday, officials said.
Flood advisories have been issued for later this week as thaw snow and ice and rain are also expected.
Much of North America has battled a massive bombing storm over the past week, the deadliest U.S. storm in at least two generations.
As the snow gradually diminishes, emergency services continue to locate and remove the abandoned vehicles under mountains of snow and snowdrifts several meters high.
Some of the dead were found frozen to death in cars or died of medical emergencies such as cardiac arrest while shovelling snow, Erie County Executive Mark Polocarz said.
“Please, please, do not drive in the city of Buffalo, unless you are emergency personnel,” he said, reports Sky.
Up to 4 feet (1.32 m) of snow fell in and around Buffalo in four days, and slightly more was expected through Tuesday night, according to the National Weather Service (NWS).
The county called 100 state National Guard members and New York City officers to help
control traffic and enforce road bans.
However, the situation is not expected to improve anytime soon as the NWS now forecasts a rapid thaw by the end of this week, coupled with rains that could lead to flooding and challenging conditions.
Roads are cleared to allow the snowmelt to drain properly, with front-loading tractors being pulled up to shovel it into dump trucks for disposal elsewhere.
Mr. Poloncarz said it will take two days to open a lane on every street in the city.
President Joe Biden has authorized federal assistance to help those left without power.
Flights were also affected by Southwest Airlines, which is based in Dallas, Texas, and has had to cancel more than 12,000 flights since Friday due to adverse conditions.
On Tuesday, it cancelled more than two-thirds of its 4,000 scheduled flights, accounting for more than 90 percent of all U.S. airline cancellations, tracking site FlightAware showed.
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