TEHRAN, Nov. 22 (MNA) – US President Joe Biden has approved an emergency declaration in the state of New York due to a severe winter storm that struck the region last week, the White House said in a statement on Monday.

“Last night, President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. declared that an emergency exists in the State of New York and ordered Federal assistance to supplement State and local response efforts due to the emergency conditions resulting from a severe winter storm and snowstorm beginning on November 18, 2022, and continuing,” the statement said, Sputnik reported.

According to local media, massive snowstorms hit the western parts of New York state, particularly in neighborhoods near Buffalo, where 77 inches (1.96 meters) of snowfall were recorded.

Biden’s declaration authorizes the Department of Homeland Security and Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to coordinate all disaster relief efforts, the White House said.

It also allows for the provision of emergency aid and the mobilization of equipment and resources to the local population, the White House added.

RHM/PR