The weekend offered the Buffalo region a chance to dig out of record levels of deep snow before a flood warning took effect because of rising temperatures and rain.
With roughly the equivalent of 150 millimetres of rain tied up in the snowpack, volunteers moved through the area assisting residents.
Beth Bragg’s home was spared the worst of a lake-effect storm that buried parts of the Buffalo area under more than two metres of snow. But she still was out first thing Saturday with her shovel — along with hundreds of other volunteers.
“I know that people really need to get shovelled out, especially some of the older folks, so I’m just doing my part to help out,” said the bank manager and “shovel brigade” member.
Volunteers helped to clear as much snow possible before rain and warmer temperatures brought an increased threat of flooding. The U.S. National Weather Service issued a flood warning for early Sunday through Monday afternoon.
Buffalo lived up to its nickname, “The City of Good Neighbours,” as the volunteers went to work.
‘They’re like angels’
“They’re like angels,” said Kevin Masterson, 61, after a handful of volunteers swarmed in to free his and his brother-in-law’s cars from the drifts. “I was out shovelling and … all of the sudden I had all these people.”
One of the volunteers, Greg Schreiber, said he’d keep going “until the back gives out.”
Seneca Street in south Buffalo was jammed with dump trucks, military vehicles and front loaders rumbling through the streets as they hauled away the canyon walls of snow.
Phil Mohun does a back flip off of his family home after clearing snow from the roof following a massive snowstorm in Cowlesville, New York. Warm temperatures and rain were forecast for the weekend in the city of Buffalo and western New York, bringing the threat of widespread flooding to the region. (Mark Blinch/Reuters)
“It’s just a war zone here,” said Eric Ginsburg, standing outside of his store, Ginzy’s. “All the military here, the police. It’s just crazy. Most snow I’ve ever seen.”
Temperatures were expected to be near 10 C on Sunday and near 15 C on Monday.
Weather Service meteorologist Jon Hitchcock said there might be trouble with drainage as snow and uncollected autumn leaves block catch basins. The threat of rain also heightened fears of roof collapses on already strained structures. Thirty major collapses have been reported.
“We don’t have a crystal ball. We can’t say exactly whether there will be a flooding problem. We can’t say what kind of structure collapses we’re going to have,” Gov. Andrew Cuomo said after touring the region for a fourth day. “But we anticipate both to some extent.”
Storm blamed for 12 deaths
The storm, which began late Monday and finally cleared out of all areas by daybreak Friday, has been blamed for at least a dozen deaths.
Officials urged people to put off non-essential travel as snow removal efforts went on. The state Thruway, however, was fully reopened Saturday — four days after 212-kilometre stretch had to be closed and a number of motorists were stranded.
After visiting a Buffalo hospital, Senator Charles Schumer said he would push for federal disaster assistance. He said he was moved by stories of good will, including of nurses who had been on duty for days because others couldn’t make it in.
“Neighbours looking out for neighbours. Just amazing,” he said.
Leonard Bishop walked for nearly four hours to deliver medicine to a friend’s mother who was stuck at a hotel almost 10 kilometres away.
“I thought, ‘I’ve got nothing else better to do, I’m going to do it,”‘ Bishop said. “She’s got medical problems and I don’t want to see anything happen to her.”
Cuomo said such stories were “a whole rainbow” behind the storm.
After Margie Page, 81, paid $600 US to have the snow cleared from the roof of her mobile home in suburban Cheektowaga, a group of volunteers from Mennonite Disaster Service arrived at the park ready to go to work.
“I should have waited,” Page said, “but I was so afraid of my roof collapsing. I was so anxious to get it done.”
