President Joe Biden has approved a federal emergency declaration for Erie County, New York, after historic levels of lake-effect snow buried the region over the weekend. The storm set a state record for the most snowfall within a 24-hour period, with some parts of Erie County getting more than 6 feet of snow. The Associated Press has the story:
Biden sends aids to New York after huge Snowstorm
Newslooks- BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP)
President Joe Biden is sending federal aid to western New York to help state and local authorities clean up from the massive storm that dumped as much as 6 feet (1.8 meters) of snow in western and northern New York, the White House announced Monday.
The emergency declaration authorizes the Department of Homeland Security and the Federal Emergency Management Agency to coordinate disaster relief in 11 counties hit by the the lake-effect snowstorm Friday and Saturday.
The National Weather Service recorded 77 inches (196 centimeters) by Saturday in Orchard Park, home to the NFL’s Buffalo Bills, and 72 inches (183 centimeters) in Natural Bridge, a hamlet near Watertown off the eastern end of Lake Ontario.
The storm forced the Bills to move Sunday’s game against the Cleveland Browns to Detroit. The Bills won 31-23.
More snow fell overnight Sunday in some areas, but it stopped by daybreak Monday. “We are finally dry,” weather service meteorologist Liz Jurkowski said.
A driving ban had been lifted for most areas affected by the storm by Monday morning, but schools remained closed in Buffalo and nearby towns.
The snowstorm was at least the worst in New York state since November 2014, when some communities south of Buffalo were hit with 7 feet (2.13 meters) of snow over the course of three days.
Jurkowski said snowfall totals for this storm were still being tabulated Monday.
Buffalo schools closed Monday
Buffalo has tallied 36.9 inches of snow in November as of Sunday, the second-highest to this point for November, trailing only 45.6 inches in 2000.
The accumulating lake-effect snow in recent days shuttered roads and snarled air traffic ahead of the busy Thanksgiving travel season.
Travel bans were in effect for much of Erie County during the worst of the storm, but Sunday morning New York Gov. Kathy Hochul tweeted many roads in Buffalo and Watertown were able to reopen and “traffic is starting to move again!”
Nearly 400 citations were issued to drivers who have been found violating travel bans in the region, Poloncarz, the Erie County executive, said Saturday.
Air travel was also impacted by the record snow, with dozens of flights arriving and departing from Buffalo Niagara International Airport canceled as storm conditions worsened, according to the airport’s website.
As the area continues to shake-off the accumulated snowfall and works to clear roadways, Buffalo Public Schools will be closed Monday, the district said on Twitter. “Safety is our primary concern. Please stay warm and safe,” the post said.
All Erie County government offices will also be closed Monday, officials said on social media.
Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown said that the city could return to “some sense of normalcy” by Monday or Tuesday.
Speaking at a storm briefing in Jefferson County Sunday, Hochul thanked local and state agencies for their preparation efforts in western New York.
“This has been an historic storm, without a doubt, it’s one for the record books. And as someone who is from Buffalo and has lived in upstate my entire life, we’ve seen a lot of snow,” Hochul said.
