Buffalo braces for another snow storm, can break US records
21 Nov 2014 5:02 AM IST
Residents of the New York state city of Buffalo started digging out on Wednesday from a massive snowstorm blamed for seven deaths, even as another headed their way, threatening to break snowfall records.
Homeowners opened their front doors to find themselves sealed in by sheer walls of white. People were marooned at homes, on roads and at work. A woman gave birth in a firehouse after the snow prevented her from reaching the hospital. Even for Buffalo, a city used to big blizzards blowing in from Lake Erie, this was an epic snowfall. The region found itself buried under up to 5.5 feet (1.68 meters) of snow on Wednesday, with another storm expected to bring up to 3 more feet (1 meter) by late Thursday.
‘’This is an historic event. When all is said and done, this snowstorm will break all sorts of records,’’ governor Andrew Cuomo said.Cuomo warned that a weekend warm-up could lead to significant flooding when the thick blanket of snow melts. Forecasters say rain is possible this weekend.
The storm trapped more than 100 vehicles along a 132-mile (212-kilometer) stretch of the New York State Thruway, the state’s main highway that remained closed on Wednesday. Trapped on a team bus for nearly 30 hours, the Niagara University women’s basketball team melted snow for water, posed with long faces for pictures that were posted online and tried to keep each other’s spirits up.
Bethany Hojnacki went into labor at the height of the storm and ended up giving birth in a Buffalo fire station after she and her husband couldn’t get to the hospital. Baby Lucy weighed in at 6 pounds. Mother and child were later taken to the hospital in an ambulance.
Homeowners opened their front doors to find themselves sealed in by sheer walls of white. People were marooned at homes, on roads and at work. A woman gave birth in a firehouse after the snow prevented her from reaching the hospital. Even for Buffalo, a city used to big blizzards blowing in from Lake Erie, this was an epic snowfall. The region found itself buried under up to 5.5 feet (1.68 meters) of snow on Wednesday, with another storm expected to bring up to 3 more feet (1 meter) by late Thursday.
‘’This is an historic event. When all is said and done, this snowstorm will break all sorts of records,’’ governor Andrew Cuomo said.Cuomo warned that a weekend warm-up could lead to significant flooding when the thick blanket of snow melts. Forecasters say rain is possible this weekend.
The storm trapped more than 100 vehicles along a 132-mile (212-kilometer) stretch of the New York State Thruway, the state’s main highway that remained closed on Wednesday. Trapped on a team bus for nearly 30 hours, the Niagara University women’s basketball team melted snow for water, posed with long faces for pictures that were posted online and tried to keep each other’s spirits up.
Bethany Hojnacki went into labor at the height of the storm and ended up giving birth in a Buffalo fire station after she and her husband couldn’t get to the hospital. Baby Lucy weighed in at 6 pounds. Mother and child were later taken to the hospital in an ambulance.
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