NIAGARA FALLS, N.Y. — Niagara County got slammed with a general snowfall yesterday of 20 to 25 inches. That is much more than they normally get.
So on Tuesday, all the school districts were closed down and the dig-out was underway.
The cities of Niagara Falls and North Tonawanda were also hard hit.
Niagara County Emergency Services Director Jonathan Schultz says that the Public Works and town highway departments were operating with just about all their staff and resources yesterday while trying to keep up with the heavy and rapid falling snow and they were back out today for more cleanup.
He says most storms average 6 to 8 inches of accumulation in Niagara County. But again this was more than two feet in some areas in a 24 hour period with the blowing snow from the wind and the drifting causing more problems.
But Schultz acknowledges that a question may come up with the possibility of more such higher accumulation with storms in the future. And they may look at more equipment to do the job. He says, "I think that's a good discussion all the municipalities will have to have. You know as time goes on the weather patterns we're seeing more and more are becoming more significant. Not just a little bit of snow, a lot of snow or more rain, more winds, or what have you. Definitely, the weather is changing."
For the City of Niagara Falls, it was the volume of the snowfall which may have been up to four to six inches an hour in the overnight hours. It really taxed the Niagara Falls DPW staff which has put in 16-hour shifts to keep up with it.
Niagara Falls DPW Director John Kinney points out, "Sections that normally would take us two - two and half hours - were taking us over five hours to complete because of the weight of the snow."
Now as plows try to work down the side streets and even back alleys in that city, the mounds of snow are growing like perhaps the frustration of some city residents. The DPW Chief is pleading for understanding and patience.
Kinney says, "Sections get picked not by any particular reason or for any particular demographic. We try to hit and accomplish as much as possible in a timely manner as possible. Our goal was to have everything open by seven o'clock Tuesday morning. And unfortunately, we did not hit it. And I understand the frustration from the residents. But our guys were out - we were out in force and yes we knew about it and we were out in force at the start of the storm. We just were hit with unprecedented amounts."
But there is some help in the form of assistance of staffers and equipment from Niagara County's DPW along with the state DOT and towns of Lewiston and Niagara. They came into the Cataract City to clear up some of the major streets following a request for help from Mayor Robert Restaino.
Kinney says, "They were able to widen Hyde Park. They were able to widen Buffalo Avenue for us. They're again back here today working on areas downtown for us."
Looking ahead, City Councilman Ken Tompkins tells me they hope to perhaps use the federal American Rescue Act to try to upgrade what he calls an aging fleet of 12 snow plows which are prone to breakdowns. He also hopes they can add to the city's police and fire vehicle fleets.
There have been numerous past issues with purchasing new police cars because of lost casino revenue during the impasse between the state and the Seneca Nation. That situation improved recently with discussions on a new casino compact.
But there has he constant maintenance of some very high mileage police vehicles which are used in extreme conditions. The city has even purchased used police vehicles for officers to use on patrols.
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