MEAWW.COM / NEWS / HUMAN INTEREST

National Guard deployed to clear roads as deadly NY snowstorm drops over 6 feet of snow

New York State Police is also assisting local towns with ATVs and snowmobiles to help EMS getting to people who need emergency assistance

BUFFALO, NEW YORK: The National Guard has been called into action by New York Governor Kathy Hochul to assist Western New York in managing the lake-effect winterstorm, which has turned deadly. She told on Saturday, November 19, that around 70 soldiers of the National Guard had been sent to the southtowns to assist crews in Hamburg, Orchard Park,and Evans with clearing snow from the main highways.

The key priority is to keep the major roads open so that emergency personnel may get through. Once those main roads are clear, the National Guard troops can then help with residential roads. In addition, the New York State Police is also assisting local towns with ATVs and snowmobiles to help EMS get to people who need emergency assistance. Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz shared at 11.45 am that National Guard troops had arrived and were about to help take people in who need dialysis, the report mentioned.

READ MORE

THUNDERSNOW: Videos show historic lake-effect storm blanket Buffalo in 6 inches of snow

What is lake-effect snowstorm? Buffalo declares state of emergency as it braces for 'paralyzing' snowstorm

"The National Guard has arrived at @ErieCountyNY's Emergency Operations Center. They are being sent out to pickup and deliver people whom require dialysis. Thanks @GovKathyHochul for calling them up to help with the response efforts," Erie County Executive, Mark Poloncarz wrote on Twitter.

Intense snowfall persisted overnight in the region, wreaking havoc on Buffalo, Erie County Department of Homeland Security & Emergency Services Commissioner Daniel Neaverth stated during a news conference Saturday that the snowfall pace might reach 3 inches per hour."We've been immediately responsive to any requests we get from municipalities that help," Hochul said.

The snowfall was heaviest in Erie County. The National Weather Service said that by 7 am on Saturday, approximately six and a half feet of snow had fallen in Orchard Park, southeast of Buffalo. Over six feet of snow fell in Hamburg, where a house's roof collapsed under the weight of the dense, wet snow, while more than five feet of snow fell in southwest Blasdell. Additionally, there was six feet of snow at Natural Bridge in Jefferson County, as per NBC

"Overnight here at the NWS Buffalo office saw 17.2 inches of snow. Adding this to the 13.0 inches that fell Thursday night into Friday morning we now have a storm total of 30.2 inches! Here is a picture of our parking lot this morning..." National Weather Service Buffalo New York stated. The daily maximum snowfall record in the city was also broken, with 16.1 inches of snowfall in one day on Saturday. The previous record of 7.6 inches in one day was set in 2014. A state of emergency also remains in place in Buffalo as well as in 11 counties in the western and the northwestern parts of the state near Lake Erie and Lake Ontario.

Two Erie County men died after suffering “cardiac events" due to shoveling or snow blowing on Friday, November 18.