Thirty-two people have been killed in the brutal winter storm in the US and the number is expected to rise as some motorists have reportedly been trapped inside their cars, according to Al Jazeera.

Much of the death toll has been concentrated in and around Buffalo, located on the shores of Lake Erie in western New York state, where biting cold and heavy “lake-effect” snow all through the Christmas weekend. The storm has sent temperatures well below freezing across the US and has destroyed Christmas eve for many. As it pounded regions, the storm delivered hurricane-force winds and whiteout conditions.