The storm-ravaged streets of Buffalo reopened Thursday as authorities proceed to look for individuals who died or are trapped following last week’s once-in-a-generation blizzard that pummeled the world with around 40 inches of snow
Mayor Byron Brown announced at a press conference late Wednesday that town’s driving ban could be lifted after midnight. Suburban roads, highways and Buffalo Niagara International Airport had already reopened.
Brown touted “significant progress” in snow removal, but still cautioned residents against venturing out of their vehicles unless vital.
Also on Wednesday, Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz confirmed 37 fatalities in his jurisdiction, with 29 within the Buffalo area alone. By comparison, 23 deaths in western Latest York were blamed on the blizzard of January 1977, the previous storm against which all others were measured.
As of mid-week, multiple bodies remained unidentified.
While local authorities grappled with the potential of finding more stays because the snow begins to melt, the National Guard continued knocking on doors to examine on residents who lost power. At times, law enforcement relied on officers’ personal snowmobiles and trucks to navigate the frozen city.
Because the cleanup begins, cracks have begun to look within the local political establishment’s united front. Poloncarz called Brown’s response to the storm “embarrassing,” while Republican Erie County Sheriff John Garcia admitted that the world’s preparedness “absolutely” might have been higher.
Brown, nonetheless, was unbowed, and insisted that town “did every part that it could” given the conditions.
Unfortunately, Buffalo’s hellish week could also be removed from over. With rain forecast at the top of the week and temperatures set to go up as high as 50 degrees Fahrenheit, the region is bracing for potential flooding because the snow melts.
Although the National Weather Service predicts only minor issues, Gov. Kathy Hochul confirmed that the state was ready with nearly 800,000 sandbags and greater than 300 pumps and generators.
“We’ll proceed to work closely with local partners to assist communities get well,” the governor wrote Wednesday on Twitter.
“We’re working across the clock to assist Western Latest York get well from this historic winter storm,” she added, “and we won’t stop until the job is completed.”
With Post wires
