Buffalo Disaster Area

Kevin Hatton · Post by **Kevin Hatton** » 16 Oct 2006 1:07 pm

Buffalo, N.Y. has been declared a national disaster area. We had a freak snow storm come in off of Lake Erie last Thursday and dropped 30 inches of snow on th ground in 6 hours. It has never happened this early before in the area's recorded history. The trees still had their leaves on them. All you heard Thursday night was what sounded like gun shots going off as the trees snapped in half. 400,000 people without power. We just got ours on today. If this would have happened in February when the tepmerature goes below zero it would have been worse. Trees brought down the power lines. Live wires all over. Many will be without power for another five days. Count your blessings.

Charlie Wallace · Post by **Charlie Wallace** » 16 Oct 2006 1:19 pm

Wow, that's pretty serious! I went to school in Geneseo and Oswego so I remember (especially from my Oswego days) the lake effect snow storms. Good Luck!

James Cann · Post by **James Cann** » 16 Oct 2006 8:13 pm

As an ex-West Senecan, I can empathize. Every good wish to all trying to get through this.

Stephen Gambrell · Post by **Stephen Gambrell** » 17 Oct 2006 5:03 am

Yeah, I do a lot of business with Jackson Music, near Buffalo. Talked to 'em on the phone, things sound pretty, well, snowy.
Prayers from down South.

John Macy · Post by **John Macy** » 17 Oct 2006 6:06 am

We've been through some early fall/late spring snows here in Denver that did some major damage to the tress, but nothing like what I am seeing up there. We had a bad one this spring that wrecked a lot of trees here, including my favorite oak in the backyard. I am surprised it is getting so little attention in the national news--seeing lots of press on the rain in Houston. I ended up going online to some of your local TV stations to read about it.

My best to you and all of the residents up there, and pray you'll get though it shortly, though you will have to see the effect of it for years to come...

Bill Llewellyn · Post by **Bill Llewellyn** » 17 Oct 2006 8:46 am

What a mess. I'm from Lockport and I remember the ice storms that would snap off tree branches from the weight of the ice, but that was after all the leaves had fallen. Wet snow on leaf-laden trees is worse.

We had a big, beautiful maple tree in our back yard where my family lived in the 70s and 80s. I looked on Google satelite not long ago and it seemed still to be there. It may have fallen victim to this storm, though.

I have very fond memories of growing up in western NYS, but those long, cold Winters could be pretty tough. I ended up going out West....

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Bill, steelin' since '99 | Steel page | MSA U12 | My music | Steelers' birthdays | Over 50?

Jon Jaffe · Post by **Jon Jaffe** » 17 Oct 2006 9:46 am

I feel for you Kevin, I love Buffalo, and was there for the Blizzard of '77, when we lost power for over a week. I lived on Norwood on the west side. We were able to heat our upper a little with the gas range, but we had no hot water or light. I was able to shower at the hospital, but my wife had to use the "Y".

The cars were all burried for several weeks, so we would CC ski to work. I was playing The Club Utica on weekends (9p-3a ouch), and the Tucci's were generous and kept the band warm.

After 10 days of that we went on vacation and froze for another week skiing in Vermont.

Chris Bauer · Post by **Chris Bauer** » 17 Oct 2006 12:23 pm

Awful. I hope they're not gonna do what they did in '07 and bring in earth movers to clear the snow. It worked so well back then that, without knowing it, they picked up a huge number of cars and dumped 'em in the lake along with the snow they were clearing.

That was my 'welcome' Winter to Rochester. Even though we did a whole lot better with the weather than Buffalo that year, it was still a startling experience for someone who'd never lived in snow before.

Bobbe Seymour · Post by **Bobbe Seymour** » 17 Oct 2006 2:16 pm

Kevin, bad news, Buffalo was a disaster area long before the snow storm! Ha! Ha!

Bobster!

Brett Anderson · Post by **Brett Anderson** » 17 Oct 2006 2:53 pm

Kevin my friend, I'm sorry for you's up in that part of the country. But here in Phoenix its 79 degrees and sunny. We got plenty o' room for you here. And theres still some old ZB's to be found under beds and in pawn shops around here.

Ken Lang · Post by **Ken Lang** » 17 Oct 2006 7:18 pm

I went to school at the University of Buffalo and lived in Buffalo and in the Jamestown for 30+ years. The snow is one of the reasons I now live in California.

Such a winter wonderland I don't miss at all.

Bobbe Seymour · Post by **Bobbe Seymour** » 17 Oct 2006 8:49 pm

Ken, I'm from Jamestown, South Main St.
Newland Ave. Baker street, Howard St.
Snow? I loved it! Still do, guess I'm crazy,

Bobbe

Dan Dowd · Post by **Dan Dowd** » 18 Oct 2006 6:46 am

I remember all the snow storm we had in Buffalo, and was raised in South Buffalo where most of the snow used to fall. I remember driving thru snow a couple of feet high with no problems. I moved from Buffalo in 1967 and moved to Paducah KY in 1980 and if we get an inch of snow nobody can drive because of the ice here. My cousin lives in Amherst and was still without power Sunday night. He said the roads were clear but due to all the trees and power lines down, there was a driving ban.

Kevin Hatton · Post by **Kevin Hatton** » 18 Oct 2006 9:32 am

Wow, thanks for all the replies. This is a great Forum. Stephan, you knew the Tucci's? Tony still plays guitar sometimes with Tommy Allen. Club Utica huh? Stephan, I shop at Jackson music all the time. They are great people to do business with. What a small world it is. Danny Dowd is famous here in western N.Y. for his golden era steel playing. This storm was a particularly bad one. Many people are buying generators. they are no longer an option living here. All the school districts are closed. The National Guard is out picking up debris. Seymour you are correct as usual.

Joe Miraglia · Post by **Joe Miraglia** » 21 Oct 2006 10:21 am

65 miles south of Buffalo is Jamestown, we got little less that a snow flack.But our turn is coming.

We do get bad storms it westeren N.Y. but some great weather in the fall, real nice summers. Kevin our band will be playing it The Buckin' Buffalo Nov. 24. I hope there is no storm that night. Joe[This message was edited by Joe Miraglia on 21 October 2006 at 11:25 AM.][This message was edited by Joe Miraglia on 21 October 2006 at 11:37 AM.]

Fred Shannon · Post by **Fred Shannon** » 21 Oct 2006 11:53 am

Kevin our sympathies... Hope everyone will be OK in the snow country. Having survived Duluth Minnesota for 3 years I feel qualified to say "Snow shovels I hate". We in west Texas have had the coolest summer and fall in years. Must be this "damned global warming".

Phred

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"From Truth, Justice is Born"--Quanah Parker-1904