BUFFALO, N.Y. — The back-to-back winter storms that Western New York experienced over the last two weeks tested a snow response system that was looking to improve after the Blizzard of '22.
While the conditions did not reach the same severity as December 2022, the additions made because of the storm that claimed the lives of over 50 people were put to use for the first time this winter.
"It's not just the county's response it's all the partners, the cities, all the municipalities, and the state, I think there was a lot of preparedness that went into it," Erie County Department of Public Works commissioner Bill Geary said.
New alerts, better communication, added equipment, and more buy-in from neighbors are what Geary credits with making their response to the last two storms better.
"I don't want to get too overzealous and say we knocked it out of the ballpark," said Geary, who added there is always room for improvement.
Geary said while the two recent lake effect storms are not comparable to the Blizzard of 2022, they were a good test.
"There was so much communication. We got into a battle rhythm right off the bat, before the storms even started," Geary said.
The county's new iPAWs alert system warned neighbors early on about the weather and a countywide travel ban. The state also used the system to issue weather condition warnings for those entering Western New York.
The alert system was not overused either, which may have diluted their value.
"That was like one piece of equipment that may not have been on the road but it was extremely effective in getting our messaging out," Geary said.
There was new equipment on the road, however, including five plow trucks and 10 high lifts that had been purchased through the Erie County Executive's Office and the County Legislature working together after the blizzard.
Another area of improvement, the commissioner noted, was that New York State declared a state of emergency early on, which allowed Erie County to place contractors and state assets ahead of the weather. After the Blizzard of '22, the state was criticized for not providing help soon enough.
"We were able to pre-position our contract forces in Orchard Park which was right near the epicenter of what was happening but also West Seneca and getting into that state of emergency in advance," Geary said.
He added that neighbors took the warnings seriously too. In fact, at one point during the storms, Geary said Erie County's 911 system was less busy than a normal day.
With fewer people on the roads, the county did not have to deploy newly purchased snowcats meant for rescue operations in a blizzard, although that equipment was standing by.
Geary said the county can always do more and has some other equipment, including specialized snow blowers they're considering for purchase.
In the immediate future, Geary said, "we need to focus in now and dial [our response] down to what can make things work smoother or even faster."