Buffalo Snowstorm Leads to Eight Dead, Countless Homes with Property Damage
Although Thanksgiving hasn’t yet arrived, the snow has in many parts of the country. Buffalo, NY, is one such area that has seen potentially record-breaking amounts of snowfall, with some areas buried under six feet or more of snow.
The snow has already caused a number of problems for residents: doors, windows, and roofs have caved in under the pressure from the snow, and the highways have been shut down, leaving many stuck indoors. The Buffalo Bills and Buffalo Sabres have both had to postpone and relocate their respective games for the week.
In fact, the exact amount of snow is unknown, according to the National Weather Service in Buffalo. The national record for snowfall was 76″ in Silver Lake, CO, but Buffalo has no way of properly measuring their snowfall because some of the snow spotters for the National Weather Service were unable to leave their homes due to barricades of snow.
Many Buffalonians have had to dig themselves out of their houses through tunnels and large paths starting at their front doors. This is especially difficult for homeowners who don’t have snow blowers.
One Twitter user from Buffalo even displayed the view from his garage on social media. Upon opening his garage door, he could see only a sliver of the outdoors above the massive piles of snow.
“When the winter months hit, the cold weather can actually cause garage door motors to freeze up and stop working,” says James Knoll, Owner, Durbin Garage Doors. “Routine inspections and, more importantly, having an insulated garage door installed can be the difference between a quick repair and a more costly replacement when the temperatures drop.”
Meanwhile, the mountains of snow have engulfed some homes, and about 15 to 20 people had to be evacuated from a trailer park after their roofs caved in. Other homeowners have seen broken doors and windows due to the snow’s weight.
The storm will likely cause homeowners a significant amount of damage. Weather forecasters also predict flooding once the snow melts.
Meanwhile, other parts of Erie County weren’t hit nearly as hard by the storm. The region’s “lake effect” snow means that the snow falls more on some areas than others.
But the sections of the city and its surrounding suburbs that have been hurt the worst have also seen as many as eight deaths so far. A 60-year-old Cheektowaga man succumbed to a heart attack when he tried to get a snowblower out of his shed.
Others might still be at risk. Residents who use snow blowers to clear a path beyond the garage are warned to be careful using the machines in an enclosed space.
