Well, mother nature really gave it to them this week. There were 24 inches of snow dumped on us in about 24 hours. That, and the trees still had most of their leaves still intact. That just made more surface for the snow to stick, and it was the wettest imaginable snow you have ever seen. I’m writing this on Sunday. The power has been out since about 5 P.M. on Friday, and they are saying it won’t all be back on till next weekend.
I didn’t lose my power, since I live north of the worst of it. I have lent my generator out to a friend who is trying to keep his basement from flooding.
The Buffalo Water Department is recommending that residents boil their water. Nobody has any ‘put up’, and very few have a Berky water filter. I really like mine!
The television showed people scrambling to buy generators. They are trying to go as far as Albany to get them. Gas to run them is also a sideshow, there is a two hour wait at the gas stations that do have power. I am sure they will be out soon.
Now the snow is melting, so the flooding is a problem. Some people have ‘grinder pumps’ for their sewers, which is a really bad position to be in, with no power!
I am thinking of going to the places where the trees are down the worst, with my chainsaw, and stocking up on wood for next winter, as it is green, and won’t burn this year. I am sure the places with trees down just want them gone. I saw on TV that 50% of the trees are at least damaged or down. Buffalo, Amherst, the suburbs have a lot of big silver maple trees. OK for firewood, when dry.
I didn’t hear of any looting yet, and I am surprised. Maybe it hasn’t been reported.
Buffalo people really are pretty good at helping each other out.
The phones haven’t worked right for a couple days, you have to try your call several times before you can get a two-way conversation going, and then it might quit at any moment. That is pretty frustrating.
I went to the nearest town today, that is where I saw the gas lines. The worst of the storm hit south of there, and I live north of it. All the restaurants were packed. The storm people can’t cook anything, so they went out of the affected area to get fed.
Good thing it was so localized! I guess that most of the roads are passable now, except for the water. Underpasses are flooded.
Thanks to this blog, I wasn’t in their shoes, and I was able to help my friend. I would be able to last a couple weeks, anyhow, no matter what. Now I just have to keep adding to the stores.
Thanks, Jim! – Sid, near Niagara Falls
Letter Re: An Early Snowstorm in Western New York
