Sixty-five stranded people rescued from their vehicles overnight. Another 200 still waiting for help.
At least one confirmed death – a body found at Bailey and Kensington avenues Saturday – and fears there will be more.
Just shy of 20,000 households without power in the bitter cold.
Buffalo is bearing the brunt of the blizzard.
As the ferocious winter storm stretched into a second day, Mayor Byron W. Brown said the city is doing what it can to try to help but is at the mercy of nature.
“Last night, we at times had to suspend emergency operations. But now we do have police and fire trying to respond,” Brown said Saturday.
“One of our priorities now is to work with public works to get emergency vehicles freed up and to get stranded motorists.”
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There’s also concern about people who are shivering in their homes after losing power for hours.
“A home can get pretty cold. But probably, given the conditions outside, it’s still the safest place,” he said.
He would know. The mayor is among those who hasn’t had electricity since Friday evening.
“I’ve got long johns on, two pairs of sweatpants, three sweatshirts, a hat, a blanket and two pairs of socks, one made of wool. And I’m still cold,” Brown said. He said he and his wife, Michelle, were busy trying to keep their nephews Avery, 6, and James, 5, warm and occupied as they waited for the lights to come back on.
Everyone in his neighborhood in the Hamlin Park section had no power Saturday, he said.
Complicating the restoration efforts was a giant tree that had fallen in a backyard, bringing down utility lines.
Brown pleaded with city residents to stay home, even if their power was out. It’s just too dangerous while the storm is still raging.
“We have said to people: stay off the roads. Even if you’ve got elderly family members, sick family members, and you’re trying to get to people for Christmas, don’t do it. People think they can make it. These are not normal situations. With the wind, the whiteouts occur. The visibility at times is zero. With blowing and drifting in the street, there are several feet of snow. You will get stuck. Even a four-wheel drive car is getting stuck. Under some of the viaducts there is flooding. You’ll get stuck. It’s incredibly dangerous out … People should stay at home.”
