The big dig began Sunday in Buffalo and across Western New York after a historic snowstorm. News 4’s Adam Harding reports.
Federal aid is coming to parts of western and northern New York to expedite cleanup efforts after a monster storm dumped up to 7 feet of snow on the Buffalo area over a days-long siege that finally appears to have ended.
The emergency declaration authorizes the Department of Homeland Security and the Federal Emergency Management Agency to coordinate disaster relief in 11 counties hit by the lake-effect snowstorm Friday and Saturday.
The National Weather Service recorded 77 inches by Saturday in Orchard Park, home to the NFL’s Buffalo Bills, and 72 inches in Natural Bridge, a hamlet near Watertown off the eastern end of Lake Ontario.
More snow fell overnight Sunday in some areas, but it stopped by daybreak Monday. At the peak of the storm, affected counties were seeing snowfall rates of up to 3 inches an hour, making for life-threatening travel conditions. In Orchard Park, which saw the worst weather, Gov. Kathy Hochul says 6 inches an hour fell during peak accumulation times.
The Democrat thanked President Joe Biden for his swift response to her request for federal emergency relief.
"My team and I will continue working around the clock to keep everyone safe, help communities dig out, and secure every last dollar to help rebuild and recover from this unprecedented, record-shattering historic winter storm," Hochul said in a statement Monday.
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On Monday, Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz raised the death toll from the storm from two to three. All of the victims were men who had heart attacks while clearing snow, he said.
A driving ban had been lifted for most areas affected by the storm by Monday morning, but schools remained closed in Buffalo and nearby towns. The snowstorm was at least the worst in New York state since November 2014, when some communities south of Buffalo were hit with 7 feet of snow over the course of three days.
Final snowfall totals for this storm were still being tabulated Monday morning.
Do you know how heavy that stuff gets? Fresh snow is one thing. Old snow is another.
We crunched some numbers using estimates of snow weights and vehicles from various sources. Check out the equivalents of the average weight of a foot and more of old snow on your roof.
- Average weight of 12" of fresh snow on a roof: 7,000 pounds = 2 compact SUVs parked on the roof
- Average weight of 24" of fresh snow on a roof: 15,000 pounds = 4 compact SUVs parked on the roof
- Average weight of 36" of fresh snow on a roof: 22,000 pounds = 6 compact SUVs parked on the roof
- Average weight of 48" of fresh snow on a roof: 30,000 pounds = 9 compact SUVs parked on the roof
