The death toll from the Christmas blizzard that hit New York rose to 16 as of December 25. The severe condition was driven by the lake effect, leaving thousands without power. The storm unleashed its full fury on Buffalo, with hurricane-force winds and snow causing whiteout conditions and paralyzing emergency response efforts. New York Governor Kathy Hochul said almost every fire truck in the city was stranded. Officials said the airport would be shut through December 27.