BUFFALO, N.Y.: Officials continued to count fatalities three days after western New York's deadliest storm in at least two generations, sending state and military police to keep people off Buffalo's snow-choked roads.

Despite the reopening of suburban roads and most major highways in the area, Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz warned that police would be stationed at Buffalo's entrances and major intersections because some drivers were violating a ban on driving within New York's second-most populous city.

Officials say more than 30 people have died in the region, including seven storm-related deaths announced Tuesday by Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown's office. The death toll exceeds that of the historic Blizzard of 1977, which was blamed for the deaths of up to 29 people in an area known for harsh winter weather.

Greg Monett took to social media to ask for help shovelling a 6-foot (1.8-meter) snowdrift from the end of his Buffalo driveway so he could receive dialysis treatment on Tuesday.

He said that power had been out for a time at his family`s home, so relatives ran a gas stove to keep warm, a practice he acknowledged was dangerous. “We had to do what we had to do,” said Monett, 43. Monett said that his loved ones called 911 when his blood sugar dipped dangerously low and he nearly passed out Sunday night, but they were told it would take hours to get to the home.

A Facebook group originally created in 2014, when Buffalo was buried under deep snow, has become a lifeline, seeking to help thousands seeking food, medicine, shelter and rescue in the latest storm. Currently managed by five women, the group swelled to at least 68,000 people as of Tuesday.

The National Weather Service predicted that as much as 2 inches (2.5 to 5 centimeters) more snow could fall Tuesday in Erie County, which includes Buffalo and its 275,000 residents. County Emergency Services Commissioner Dan Neaverth Jr. said officials also were somewhat concerned about possible flooding later in the week when milder weather begins melting the snow.

The rest of the United States also was reeling with at least an additional two dozen storm deaths reported elsewhere around the country, and power outages in communities from Maine to Washington state.

Even in central Florida, temperatures plunged as low as 27 degrees (minus 2.7 Celsius) over the weekend. Growers` groups were relieved Tuesday not to find widespread damage to the fruit and vegetable crops that supply much of the U.S. with fresh winter produce. Some people perished while shoveling snow, others died when emergency crews could not respond in time to medical crises. More bodies are expected to be found as the snow is cleared or melts.

The winter blast stranded some people in cars for days, shut down the city`s airport, and left some residents shivering without heat. More than 4,000 homes and businesses were still without power late Tuesday morning.

Between the two storms, snowfall totals are not far off from the 95.4 inches (242 centimetres) the area normally sees in an entire winter season. The National Weather Service said the snow total at the Buffalo Niagara International Airport stood at 49.2 inches (1.25 meters) at 10 a.m. Monday. Officials said the airport will be closed through Wednesday morning.

The U.S. Department of Transportation said it will look into Southwest Airlines flight cancellations that left travelers stranded at airports across the country amid the winter storm. Many airlines were forced to cancel flights, but Southwest was by far the leader.