BUFFALO, N.Y. – Dump trucks continue to carry small mountains of snow through Buffalo nearly a week after a deadly blizzard crippled the western New York area, dropping more than 4 feet of snow in some places and claiming the lives of at least 37 people.
After six days, Erie County and Buffalo officials lifted the travel ban in Buffalo early Thursday morning thanks to crews who were able to clear enough roads throughout the city.
Buffalo residents are still asked only to venture out for essential needs as hundreds of high-lift vehicles and dump trucks continue to clear streets of snow. But after being stuck inside for days, people are in need of supplies and trying to get back to any notion of normalcy.
National Guard troops brought meals ready to eat to warming centers, and grocer Wegmans donated baby formula for the hardest hit areas.
The nightmare began on Friday morning when snow bands from the blizzard turned bomb cyclone created white-out conditions as workers were heading home after a night shift and last-minute shoppers attempted to complete their Christmas to-do lists.
THESE FACTORS COMBINED TO MAKE THE DEADLY HOLIDAY BLIZZARD IN NEW YORK A CATASTROPHE
As conditions worsened, a travel ban was put into place around 9:30 a.m. But by then, heavy snow driven by wind gusts over 65 mph left visibility near zero and drivers abandoning cars in the streets, or people were stuck inside their vehicles, some to become stranded for almost a day.
Buffalo Niagara International Airport recorded nearly 52 inches of snow and parts of Erie County spent 37 hours under blizzard conditions with gusting winds over 60 mph.
With zero visibility, gusting winds and lake-effect snow drifts, some of the now 37 blizzard victims were found after venturing out into the storm for last-minute supplies. Others died at home in freezing temperatures. Nearly 30,000 in Buffalo woke on Christmas morning without power, which has since been restored.
“It’s a gut punch; 2022 has been a horrible year for our community in so many different ways,” Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz told reporters a few days after the storm.
When the snowfall trapped shoppers and customers out in the storm, businesses became a refuge for people with nowhere to go.
Erie County Deputy Executive Lisa Chimera said the people of Erie County were “part of the solution” helping others during the blizzard that will go “down in our history books forever.”
“We are going to hear story after story about the city of good neighbors,” Chimera said.
During a news conference, Sheriff J. Garcia described how Erie County Undersheriff William Cooley brought people into his home and cared for them during the storm. Deputies used their personal vehicles to rescue stranded drivers.
A Target housed dozens of people as walls of snow covered the parking lot and their cars.
Buffalo C&C Barber Shop owner Craig Elston turned his business into a temporary shelter for about 50 people throughout the storm.
“People started knocking on the door saying that, you know, if they were outside any longer, even two more minutes, they would have died,” Elston told FOX Weather.
Elston let people know on social media they could come to his shop if they need a safe place to shelter from the storm. People arrived at his doorstep nearly frozen from the winds and extremely cold as temperatures dropped to single digits with wind chills well below zero.
“It’s the worst thing in my 37 years of living that I’ve never experienced as far as the winter,” the long-time Buffalo resident said.
The chill has finally subsided on Lake Erie.
Tuesday marked the first day since Dec. 20 that the National Weather Service office in Buffalo did not need to issue any winter weather advisories.
“That’s one week, 6 hours, 38 minutes,” the NWS Buffalo tweeted.
As crews continue to move mounds of snow from streets and highways, western New York will stay above freezing for the near future.
DRONE CAPTURES INCREDIBLE VIEWS OF THUNDERSNOW OVER BUFFALO SKYLINE AMID HISTORIC SNOWSTORM
A weather system is expected to bring a chance of rain into the recovery areas on Friday and Saturday.
State and Erie County officials said they have been preparing for any potential flooding as the snow melts.
“As temperatures begin to rise, we are preparing for potential flooding due to melting snow in Western New York,” New York Gov. Kathy Hochul tweeted. “We have nearly 800,000 sandbags & more than 300 pumps & generators ready to deploy.”
The Erie County Department of Public Works has an ample supply of resources ready to go if flooding begins.