Crews from Nassau County are heading to upstate New York areas to assist with rescue efforts following a devastating holiday storm.

The official death toll from this week's western New York blizzard is 28 in Erie County, where the National Guard and other emergency agencies have been dispatched.

Gov. Kathy Hochul says snowplows and rescue vehicles have been getting stuck in ditches while trying to avoid the vehicles that others abandoned on the roadways.

Nassau County is sending 18 employees and a slew of equipment, like generators and large pickup trucks, to assist in the efforts.