Deadly storm paralyzed Buffalo
2022.12.26 06:34
Deadly storm paralyzed Buffalo
Budrigannews.com – On Monday, road and utility workers had to dig out and get things back to normal in Buffalo, New York, where a blizzard that was thought to be the worst in 45 years buried snow plows, left drivers stranded, and killed at least 13 people.
The deadly blizzard started late on Friday and pounded western New York all the way through the Christmas holiday weekend. It was the culmination of an Arctic freeze and winter storm front that had been over most of the United States for days, down to the Mexican border.
A tally from NBC News shows that since the end of the previous week, at least 30 people have died in weather-related incidents in the United States, while CNN puts the total number of deaths at 26.
One of the hardest-hit areas was the greater Buffalo region, which is on the shore of Lake Erie near the Canadian border.
A storm that Governor Kathy Hochul claimed would go down in history as “the Blizzard of ’22” was brought about by numbing cold, howling winds, and heavy “lake-effect” snow. This snow is the result of moisture being picked up by cold air moving over warmer lake waters.
According to authorities, the official death toll from the storm, which reached 13 on Sunday in Buffalo and other parts of Erie County, was expected to rise as additional bodies discovered in snow drifts or buried vehicles were examined and determined to be weather-related.
The governor described it as an “epic, once-in-a-lifetime” weather disaster that was the strongest winter storm to strike Buffalo, the second-largest city in New York State, since a crippling blizzard in 1977 that killed nearly 30 people.
The most recent blizzard, which initially overwhelmed emergency personnel, occurred nearly six weeks after western New York was hit by a lake-effect storm that set a record but lasted less time.
Over the weekend, hundreds of Erie County motorists were stranded in their vehicles despite a road travel ban that had been in effect since Friday. The National Guard troops were mobilized to assist with rescues, but they were hampered by blinding whiteout conditions.
The decision on whether to extend the ban would be made by authorities on Monday morning.
Reporters were informed by County Executive Mark Poloncarz that conventional snow removal equipment was insufficient to remove snow drifts on roadways that were as high as 8 feet in height.
He stated that numerous snow plows, tow trucks, ambulances, and other dispatched emergency vehicles got stuck in the snow on Saturday and Sunday, “and we had to send rescue missions to rescue the rescuers.”
The Buffalo police department issued a public appeal for assistance via the internet, requesting that individuals who “have a snowmobile and are willing to help” contact a hotline for instructions.
According to Poloncarz, although most Erie County utility customers had their power restored, approximately 15,000 homes were still without power as of Sunday evening.
He stated that an 18-foot-tall snow mound sealed off one of the shut down electrical substations, and utility workers discovered that the entire facility was frozen inside.
According to Hochul, local power companies had pre-positioned approximately 7,000 utility workers in advance of the storm on Friday at the request of state officials. However, the blindingly drifting snow made it difficult for crews to reach the damaged equipment.
Additionally, efforts to clear snow-clogged roads were unsuccessful.
Hochul stated, “It is not a question of resources – bodies and equipment – it is a question of mobility and access.”
On Sunday, Hochul disclosed to reporters that she anticipated receiving formal approval shortly and that the Biden administration had agreed to support her request for a federal disaster declaration.
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Although the official blizzard warning for the greater Buffalo area was lifted on Sunday, authorities warned that blizzard-like conditions persisted in some areas and that additional snow was anticipated through Tuesday.
