Buffalo, New York Area, Great Lakes, Lake-Effect Snow Impacts: At Least 5 Dead, State of Emergency Declared

November 19, 2014

Snow was still falling on the Buffalo, New York, area Wednesday morning, a day after a major lake-effect snow event dumped up to 60 inches of snow on areas south of Buffalo, killing at least five people and stranding vehicles for hours on roads throughout the area. In response, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo declared a state of emergency for the western New York counties most impacted by the snow.
Snow also fell in other Great Lake states, including northern Wisconsin and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, where up to two feet of snow blew ashore. Those areas will get a bit of a reprieve today before the lake-effect event ramps-up again in the evening hours Wednesday into the morning Thursday. For specific forecast details click on the link below.
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New York

At least five storm-related deaths were reported in Buffalo, New York, Tuesday night, Erie County authorities announced. A 46-year-old man was found dead in his vehicle in Alden, New York. The car was completely buried in snow, The Buffalo News reports. A second person died in an automobile accident, and the three other deaths are possibly due to cardiac complications.
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo declared a state of emergency for 10 counties, including Erie County, most impacted by lake-effect snow. The declaration mobilizes more than 1,000 transportation personnel, including 526 snow plows, 74 large loaders and 21 snow blowers. The declaration also sends 150 National Guardsmen into the Buffalo area to assist with recovery efforts.

Areas of western New York will definitely need every bit of that help to clear roads of abandoned vehicles and large accumulations of snow, especially south of Buffalo, New York. Up to 150 vehicles were abandoned on The Thruway (I-90), and numerous vehicles were abandoned on roads throughout the Buffalo metro area. Emergency personnel worked throughout the night to rescue people stranded in their vehicles using snowmobiles and all terrain vehicles. Erie County officials reported that they had rescued all stranded people in Erie County Tuesday evening, but The Buffalo News reports that many weren't rescued and remained trapped overnight on The Thruway.
http://www.wunderground.com/news/buffalo-new-york-great-lakes-snow-20141119