A ferocious winter storm in the US has caused at least 50 deaths

A crisis situation was unfolding on Sunday in Buffalo in western New York, where a blizzard left the city marooned and prevented emergency services from reaching high-impact areas. The Buffalo storm is “a crisis of epic proportion” and “the worst of the worst”, said New York Governor Kathy Hochul, a native of Buffalo, where 2.4-metre (8-foot) snow drifts against front doors and power outages in freezing temperatures have created life-threatening conditions.