Snow Storm 2014: Massive Snowfall Covers Buffalo and Northern New York; Kills 5 and Traps Dozens
A massive lake-effect snowstorm battered Buffalo and the surrounding areas, burying cars and houses under feet of snow and stranding motorists on the highways for more than 24 hours. The snowstorm killed at least five people and led to scores of injured.
In a second day of snowfall, western New York was covered in feet of snow, according to The Associated Press, with some parts of the city seeing five feet of snow. Projections predict the area will see six more feet of snow throughout Wednesday. Another storm is projected to arrive Wednesday night.
Five people have died because of the storm; three of heart attacks. Aside from the deaths by heart attack, one person died during a car crash and another was inside a car.
Towns around Buffalo reported between four and five feet of snow.
Others affected were motorists whose cars became stranded due to snowdrifts and heavy snow precipitation. In the New York Thruway, a 132-mile stretch was closed so that authorities could rescue stranded drivers.
According to NBC News, around 100 motorists were trapped on I-90, part of the aforementioned section of the state Thruway.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo took to Twitter to warn and update local residents about the conditions in the affected part of the state.
Cuomo declared a state of emergency in 10 counties and deployed the state’s National Guard to help with clean up. To clean up roads, the state deployed 526 snowplows and 17 large snow blowers.
However, not the whole region was affected. The New York Times reports the lake-effect snowstorm mostly affected the towns south of Buffalo, while the city and other areas only received light snow.
Local residents and news agencies posted images on social media of the snow.
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