After insane snow, now Buffalo braces for flooding
Digital Reporter
Saturday, November 22, 2014, 11:27 AM - Years from now, we'll still be talking about Buffalo's week from hell.
The city, across the border from Ft. Erie, Ont., was the bullseye of an intense lake-effect snow event that lasted for days and all but buried the city in almost two metres of snow, while just a few kilometres away, amounts were nowhere near that level of intensity.
And now, on top of that, the residents of the snowed-under community have a new challenge to face: Flooding.
Countless cars like this one are buried in the snow. Many roads still impassable, & will be for days. #BuffaloSnow pic.twitter.com/uyKmVVoODT
— George Kourounis (@georgekourounis) November 22, 2014
Normally, when staggering amounts of snow falls, the temperatures remain consistently cold enough that it becomes a matter of simply digging out, no matter how long it will take.
But Buffalo, where last week's snowfall totals exceeded 200 cm in some areas, is in for the same thing as southern Ontario: Temperatures reaching the double digits by Monday.
Temperatures are already expected to be above zero Saturday, and the U.S. National Weather Service issued flood watches for the Buffalo area, eyeing the area's deep snow pack.
"Snow surveys today indicate that the snow pack in the hardest-hit areas contains between 4 and 6 inches of water equivalent," the agency warns. "At first the snow pack will absorb much of the water from the snow melt. However, as the snowpack ripens, and with the addition of a half-inch or so (12 mm) of rain, the potential for flooding will rapidly increase."
How much rain falls will depend on the track and potency of a low pressure system moving northward to Upstate New York and southern Ontario from the Gulf of Mexico.
The National Guard has been active in Buffalo, and nearby cities sent snow plows and other equipment to help the city cope with the snowfall and its aftermath.
Now, the state is sending boats, pumps, sandbags and helicopters to head off any potential flooding.
At least 12 people have been reported dead in the aftermath of the storm. The figure was briefly set at 13, but revised downward on Friday after it emerged that one victim who had been mistakenly reported dead.
WINTER OUTLOOK: We unveil our preview of the coming season on Monday at 9 p.m. Eastern on the Weather Network on TV. Tune in!
