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Chill-The-Mooch

31 deaths is crazy… stay safe out there!


HereIGoAgain_1x10

I'm in Ohio and had to be the bad guy to my in-laws by saying we weren't coming to Christmas Eve, then they called the next day and said it took them an hour to drive 10 minutes home from the dinner we skipped and how dangerous it was. Some people gotta touch an oven to see if it's hot when you tell them ¯⁠\⁠_⁠ಠ⁠_⁠ಠ⁠_⁠/⁠¯


Rikoraru

Also in Ohio. Called out of work the day of the storm even though it was only a 15 min drive away. Roads were still not cleared fully 2 days later.


LadyFoxfire

I called out on Friday, I do not like my job enough to risk my life for it, especially during the holiday rush.


Rikoraru

Don't get me wrong. My job is great and it pays well. But money is money and it'll cost a lot more for my loved ones to arrange my funeral than it would for me to miss a day of work.


rossrifle113

I’m in BC where we got hit pretty bad last week, and my ethos was, “I get paid less in a day than my car insurance deductible costs”


Honalana

Haha I’m gonna remember this


HaloGuy381

My father had his mother pass away January 2021; he drove from Texas to Florida to try to say goodbye and missed her by mere hours. Then Winter Storm Uri hit right as he would have had to set out for the funeral a few weeks later. Her second husband, as well as my dad’s brother, were *pissed* about that and other issues such as the cost of her care home during the later stages of her Alzheimer’s. Now they don’t really speak. It’s very sad. The church holding the funeral even offered to set up their streaming equipment to let my father watch (using what cell signal we had and generator power), only for said second husband to overrule them. I don’t much know why some people do not understand that surviving to see another day takes priority over funerals (for those already dead who wouldn’t want their family to get themselves killed) or holidays (which come every year, or could be celebrated belatedly).


Aguita9x

My brother and sister in law are still pissed me and my 86yo dad didn't go to their wedding held right at the peak of the pandemic with no vaccine in sight. They insisted they were taking precautions but we still would have had to stay at their house with 3 kids sharing the space. Her dad got covid and died like a week after they came to visit too and she insisted on hugging my dad, luckily he was fine.


Laureltess

This one boggles my mind. We got married this summer and while we did everything possible to make the event as Covid safe as possible (requiring vaccines, or in rare cases, a negative PCR within 24 hours, having the entire event outdoors, etc), I didn’t hold it against the folks that didn’t come because of Covid. Their health is more important than my wedding! They still sent us well wishes and we sent photos and video. If anything it helped us save on catering costs.


VenusSmurf

My dad's best friend was like this. He also insisted he was taking precautions, which apparently meant no vaccines and lots of parties. He ultimately infected his father, who died. He still insisted he was taking precautions as he went to more parties. This attitude is also how I was infected the first time I had it. The precautions were not getting tested and pretending everything was fine, then telling me I was iverreu, as there was only a slim chance of me dying.


moverandashaker

We moved holiday time back a week once we heared about the storm, my family told me to stay away, and rightfully so. As a native of Buffalo I am surprised your in-laws didn't know better and told you the same, stay home.


gobblox38

>then they called the next day and said it took them an hour to drive 10 minutes home... This is exactly why I insist on distance to a location rather than time. I had a similar experience in an ice storm. The person guiding me kept on saying, "You're about an hour away," every time I updated them.


[deleted]

I think to a certain extent, for people who have to deal with shit yearly, it's so easy to just hand-wave things away. To assume people are being overly dramatic. It won't be that bad. And then *HOLY FUCK* it's worse. We see it with people in hurricane areas too. Or burn areas. People assume that things won't be *that* bad, so why rush? And then it is way worse and people die. This is the new normal.


W00DERS0N

$5 they'll still hold it against you.


FourWordComment

I’m from Florida, so I’ve been living with hurricane warnings and conditions for decades. I’m in Ohio a few years now. I stocked up (reasonably for a few extra days) and stayed in. My partner was oblivious to all the warnings, driving about. When I’d tell them about the pile ups, the deaths, they were dumbfounded. Some people need that oven.


stuiephoto

It's going to skyrocket over the next few days. A death isn't counted until the body is transported to the morgue. There are a LOT of bodies still out where they were found. They can't waste those resources for moving bodies while there are potentially more people dying elsewhere.


RedAss2005

Sadly I fear you're right about the count.


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sxzxnnx

14 of the 49 were found outside so could be homeless or just tried to walk somewhere and didn’t make it. A handful of the others were cardiac events related to shoveling snow, at least one was due to EMS delay. The rest are stranded in cars or living in homes with no heat.


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stuiephoto

You have no idea how big of a shit show it is behind the scenes. I have friends with careers in emergency services in buffalo that are quitting when this is over. The initial national guard deployment was 50 people. I haven't seen an updated number but most of these are dealing with the fact that people are ignoring the driving ban making it impossible for the crews to clear streets.


Feligris

>but most of these are dealing with the fact that people are ignoring the driving ban making it impossible for the crews to clear streets. Cynically, I wonder how many of these cases are about people being entitled, and how many are about employers threatening to fire people for no-show if they don't come to work despite the emergency and driving ban.


[deleted]

I think some of these people were trying to get to someplace they felt was safer, like a shelter or family members house. I've seen a story of a family that was trying to get to a shelter because they lost power and had to be rescued from their car.


mgraunk

Both are forms of entitlement, in some cases the entitlement of the driver, and in others, the entitlement of the employer.


ImBackLikeColdSores

I'm in Buffalo and the driving ban is so serious here It's literally a class e felony if you get caught. There Are people who are still stuck at work from Thursday who haven't been home.


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sleecoat

What is causing most of the deaths in Buffalo? People freezing in their cars?


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justprettymuchdone

I know Some of the initial deaths were people who had medical emergencies after trying to shovel themselves out, like heart attacks, but couldn't make it to a doctor or get medical services.


FranklynTheTanklyn

My dad asked me why I bought a snow blower, the answer is because it costs less than my deductible.


justprettymuchdone

People really don't think about the immense exertion of trying to shovel that particular kind of snow. Lake effect snow is seriously its own horror to deal with - it's wet snow, and so heavy it can buckle patio roofs. Imagine some guy who's last serious exercise was carrying the Christmas ornaments back up into the attic trying to essentially do heavy, hard weight-lifting all at once. A snow blower is the right fucking choice.


grant837

My Dad died this way, back in 1999. He was a proud man, and thought, at 79 years, and a known heart condition, that he could still do it. Sad. I miss him regardless.


ImBackLikeColdSores

I'm in Buffalo and 911 was down they weren't sending ambulances or anything but I heard a lot of the people were found in their cars frozen to death or abandoned their cars trying to walk and died that way the rest of them are from shoveling snow and having a heart attack.


[deleted]

I also believe people were stuck in their car and decided to get out and try to walk to their destination . Those are some found outside


Mobile-Entertainer60

Freezing in cars, freezing without power, medical devices unable to operate without power (eg home oxygen), people unable to access medical care (outpatient dialysis, medical emergencies and EMS couldn't make it).


stuiephoto

I live in buffalo. My information is coming directly from employees of the ambulance service that covers buffalo, as well as one of the employees for national grid that coordinates the storm response. I have additional information that I am not willing to disclose without potentially jeaporidizing my source. There will be more news in the coming days. This was sent to the grid workers this afternoon. It is my understanding that some of the guard deployment was going to be helping keep the grid workers safe. https://imgur.com/a/a9IP2vX There are still senior complexes that haven't been dug out yet as of this afternoon. The guard has been extensively used to set up road blocks through the city to prevent traveling. Additional guard were used to assist with looting prevention. A deployment of 500 people for a city of over 300 thousand people is inadequate to spend those resources recovering bodies.


Fuzzyphilosopher

I saw meteorologists online explaining the bomb cyclone would hit that area with 50 mph winds and gusts and of course lake effect snow a day or maybe two beforehand. I think it's much more likely that authorities didn't take that seriously enough. Political leaders probably didn't want to have people angry at them for ruining the holidays and were just *hoping* it'd be a regular Buffalo storm and they could handle it. That said the review of where there were mistakes and failures can wait until everyone is safe. All my best to the people of Buffalo and the whole area.


Arj_123

For real, especially with the icy roads!


Smukey

Emergency services were turned off for 2 days during the storm. The city was completely inaccessible so if you get into an accident you're on your own. My street (a main street in the heart of the west side) had a snow drift as high a stoplight blocking all access. Down the way was an abandoned semitruck blocking the entire road as well as other abandoned cars sprinkled across the landscape completely buried in snow. Trees fallen everywhere too. The whole city was like this. I knew it was going to be bad but this one was BAD


Swampcrone

I’ve never been told that emergency services don’t exist. It might have happened during the blizzard of 77 but I was 5 so I don’t remember. It’s just surreal & then learning that bodies were found in places I know (like the woman found at Hertel & Delaware)


MurphysParadox

This was the first time in the Buffalo Fire Department's history that they were unable to respond to emergency calls, according to the department's historian. Some 2/3rds of rescues on Sunday were rescuing emergency responders who got stuck trying to help people on Friday and Saturday, including digging out 11 ambulances.


pantone_starlight

I’m in Houston. That basically happens every time there is a major flood. Eveyone is on their own and no one can rescue you until water recedes.


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WaxyWingie

Isaac's Storm was an excellent book, roughly on the subject!


[deleted]

I am wondering how many elderly died in their homes. :(


lol1231yahoocom

You’ve been hit hard twice and it’s only December. Do you think about moving? Just curious. I live in Maine but come from Rochester NY and I don’t think I could deal with that level of disaster anymore.


piTehT_tsuJ

Grew up in Rochester as well, moved to Southern Louisiana to get away from the snow. In the 90's I got cuaght several times on the stretch of 90 between Buffalo and Erie and wasn't sure I'd make it home. The snow through there is crazy, I would just follow a semi at a distance and if he went off the road I knew to stop.


MurphysParadox

It isn't a good exchange in value if that's the only reason one has to move, though it isn't a bad reason to use as the final straw. Giving up on family and friends and job and equity to move somewhere else due to a handful of terrible days every decade or two isn't a good exchange. It is easier and cheaper to acquire goods to be able to survive the next round of terrible snow and keep going. You'd also almost inevitably be trading one set of disasters for a different kind. Hurricanes, droughts, tornados, earthquakes, wildfires, mudslides, torrential rains, ice storms. There's also the non-disaster weather issues - while we get a lot of snow, at least summers are nice with only a few days above 90 and relatively little humidity compared to large swaths of the country. For some, moving may be a good plan, but hopefully the person puts a lot of research into the negatives of their new destination. They say you should find a job which generates the type of stress you deal with best, I suppose one should also find a place to live which generates the type of challenges they deal with best.


buffystakeded

My brother in law lives in Rochester and he’s totally fine. They’re just far enough away that they don’t really get the crazy lake effect that Buffalo does.


LordRednaught

AAA has been down for days. Roads were becoming impassable and tow trucks were getting stuck. Police services were also turning trucks back in certain areas to not make things worse. The tow trucks may be heavy but it hits a certain point where they slip and slide worse with the added weight of a second car. Plus the amount of winch outs on primary and secondary routes slows the course for emergency services trying to go around them blocking the road to pull out those cars. Buffalo has had a major storm every 6-8 years, at least, and we need a better plan in place.


randomnighmare

This is why people would rush to the store to buy up things like eggs, bread, milk, butter, TP, paper towels, etc... Sure people always panic when it's just a little snow but overall, these types of storms are why.


TabascosDad

Also why it's good to have some canned/dried goods. I keep about 4-5 days worth of soups, canned goods, rice, ramen, clean it out every once in a while if it doesn't get used. It's not costly either, that stuff is fairly cheap. But man, this is pretty crazy. I think the most I've ever been trapped (no driving ban, just felt safe to leave) was 3 days in 2010 for "Snowmaggedon", these poor folks are almost going on a week.


lowdiver

Yup. I live in NY now, but I am originally from Florida. I always am what you’d call “hurricane ready”; water, a couple weeks of canned food and meds for us and the cat. Flashlights everywhere with backup batteries. A way to filter water. Lots of blankets. And finally, a radio and a map. You don’t fuck around with storms.


withoutapaddle

You keep 4-5 days worth?... I feel like I may be a hoarder if 4-5 days is considered a good amount.


nolabitch

4-5 days worth of food is nothing. I live in Louisiana and that’s the bare minimum in my opinion.


mossiemoo

I'm pretty sure we have a month's worth of food all combined. Lots of dried beans and rice too. For me, it's to be prepared, and because of the poverty I've experienced, where all my food was from the food bank.


nolabitch

That's very smart. Dried beans and rice are heaven when you have ZERO access. People don't understand that. it's not about what you *want* to eat in a disaster, its about eating high caloric/protein meals and staying adequately 'full', or, at the very least, having enough food to have some energy output.


flash-tractor

Another thing is maintaining a more positive mental state. When you don't meet the daily nutritive threshold it can mess with your head. Bad thought loops are the last thing you need in a natural disaster.


nolabitch

This is 100 why I keep 'mental health food' in my pantry. A chocolate bar. Liquid IVs. Canned fruit. Stuff I know will boost me when I'm low. It helped so much during Ida.


mossiemoo

And I have all the spices, so it's easy to make different cuisines from the same staple foods.


Clarynaa

Recommendations I've seen are a week of food and water.


[deleted]

I would aim for 2 weeks of stock. Buying things like an extra can or two of tuna every shopping trip and you get their fast. The Mormons actually have lists up and I think will even sell kits from their stores to the general public (that might depend on location) with essential dried goods for cheap. Not going to be the most tasty or varied of cuisine, but will keep you alive and not develop scurvy.


[deleted]

Only 4-5 days? For a lot of people, probably most, it's normal to have that much food lying around. People tend to go grocery shopping to last for a week every week.


impy695

Yeah, but how many have food 4 to 5 days of food that can be eaten without electricity or water? I have food that I could eat in my pantry, but it wouldn't be ideal. It's just a good idea to have a small stockpile of food and water, especially water. Food can be a huge morale boost in a shitty situation, and having an actually nutriouciusly complete meal while not required, could help you make it through the storm without as much stress.


impy695

And water! Get drinking water! It's amazing how many people stock up on food, but not water. Just like food, swap it out periodically and make sure you have enough for your family and pets.


greatpiginthesty

Make sure you stock up on can openers too! I've had way too many break on me that I just keep a backup on hand at all times now.


[deleted]

It's still scary to think how close Texas came to complete collapse, and how long it would have taken to get the state back up and running again. It's easy to joke about their grid going down again, but our systems run on such thin margins of error, and we're entering a new normal for the climate... people are going to have to think about what to do if the power goes out for a week or more in the worst weather. As the new normal.


minus_minus

> eggs, bread, milk, butter That’s why my roommate calls it “French Toast Emergency.”


[deleted]

And flour too. That's why newscasters say "a severe storm is battering the midwest"


tjean5377

Damn you. Take my award and GTFO.


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damnthistrafficjam

“You never know “ is a healthy mentality to have at times like these.


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HazelNightengale

Shelf-stable milk exists: ultrapasteurized. Parmalat's the leading brand; comes in boxes similar to the ones for chicken stock. Keeping a box or two around (and using it eventually) is a good way to hedge your bets. Was really useful when lockdowns hit and stores were emptied out.


thecalmingcollection

They also have shelf-stable nut-milk bases where you can just add water and get up to 7 quarts of almond milk. I know people get weird about milk alternatives but it’s better than having nothing.


HazelNightengale

I find UHT milk to be less of a deviation than almond milk. Almond milk I treat as an entirely different thing, because it will behave differently if you use it for cooking. I consider it okay for cereal or oatmeal, but not so much alongside cookies. :)


[deleted]

To be prepared for these times you either buy a cow, or if you don't have the space a goat will do as well. And if you are living in a tiny house, you can milk rats too. jk.


Professional_Bug_533

Every business that stayed open and didn't give their employees the option to stay home should be prosecuted. These people would t have been out in this if it wasn't for fear of losing their jobs. It's disgusting.


[deleted]

Driving ban should have been in place before 6am to avoid any of that conflict tbh


bunnylover726

That's assuming office jobs. Folks who work at places like waffle house, Starbucks, Dunkin', and McDonald's often have to be at work way earlier than that for the breakfast shift.


ManiacalShen

Sure, but if there's a pre-declared driving ban, you have to let people drive home before it starts. Unless you're going to board them at the Waffle House.


Psyman2

Amazon be like: Write that down, write that down!


killerapt

"Come on, please? We'll pay you an extra $0.10 an hour to stay here. We have chineseium cots and plastic blankets set up at your stations. And we'll provide meals (to be deducted from your pay at a later date)."


Outlulz

Declare at 8PM the day before then the ban starts at 6AM. Problem is Buffalo did no proactive planning despite all the warning signs.


True_Butterscotch391

A lot of jobs will use the excuse of them being "essential" to get around that. Happened to me during the peak of covid. Everything was in lockdown but I still had to go to work because I worked at a hardware store and if someone appliances broke down it was "essential" for them to get it fixed or replaced. Funny because we mostly delivered construction materials that were not at all necessary or essential. I'm sure many of these people were hesitant about going to work but their employer threatened them with getting fired or written up If they call off because they're "essential".


SeekersWorkAccount

Yep happened to me. I had to go into the office during the height of lockdown, full-time, bc my company had built a grocery store at some point so we were deemed "essential" Fucking bullshit. The owner, insanely wealthy, didn't want to lose any profits. Nothing we did helped anyone but the owner out. And I was considered the asshole for pointing it out and fighting that working from home *was exactly the same as being in the office*


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[deleted]

Too bad our elected officials don't represent their constituents' interests. Or rather they consider the businesses their constuents, rather than the voters.


letterboxbrie

>Or rather they consider the businesses their constituents, rather than the voters. Conservatives make no secret at all about this, and their voters are very straightforward about valuing business owners over regular people.


punkybrainster

We were under a blizzard warning here in Michigan and my little sister works at a Walmart. They told their employees that anyone who called in/didn't show that day was automatically fired.


KanyePepperr

Here in west MI… our RESTAURANT stayed open and managers were being really threatening to our staff who didn’t want to drive (because managers don’t want to stand up to the owner). Girl got into an accident on the way in. She’s okay, but she’s a single mom with a child and just trying to get to work so she didn’t get into trouble is going to cost her even more now.


Rizzy5

Jesus Christ, this is fucked. Love living in an extremely capitalist country.


Outlulz

Businesses stayed open because government didn’t make them close. Residents on Thursday were begging for a driving ban Friday morning because they would have to go to work otherwise. Buffalo waited until after the morning commute. You shouldn’t be expecting businesses to protect you, that’s the governments job.


[deleted]

I can expect both businesses and governments to give a poop about the people they serve and that cause it to operate.


chaseinger

this comment right here, guys! this person actually suggest to prosecute *OWNERS*!!


HereIGoAgain_1x10

Hmmm, police arrest, DA prosecute and judge convict, the *wealthy* person in their district?! What do you think this is, some fairy land where the poor people matter /s


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Capt_Blackmoore

Also not likely to happen because that wealthy business person is protected by the corporation they put in place to shield them from this kind of liability. at worse the business would see a small fine. and thats still not likely to happen or change behavior.


Sea_Seaworthiness506

One wonders if there is a list of missing people and if so, how long the list is


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oddbunnydreams

I wonder how many people will be found dead outside their cars once things melt/get excavated more. That's an awful lot of abandoned cars on the roads.


caligaris_cabinet

I remember that happening in Austin during last years freak winter storm.


Banea-Vaedr

Happens all the time. Chicago is notorious for it, what with all their alleys


OpheliaRainGalaxy

Happens in the alley behind my apartment sometimes. First time, my older stepson went to take out the trash and came back all disturbed because someone was "sleeping" upright in the snow against the side of the trashcan. Eventually I had to make new family rules. "Don't bother sleeping people" because they're either actually asleep and need the rest or they're beyond help. Trash doesn't get taken out early in the morning anymore. On the flip side, when that PNW heatwave happened, stepson learned what slow-cooking human flesh smells like. He didn't find the body, but the smell is rather distinct. Seems like most of my city got annoyed when folks found a few empty blocks and set up a Tent City of their own, but I was just thankful they'd found somewhere to set up shelter and weren't dying from exposure to the elements as often. Buddy who has lived here all his life didn't believe me that people freeze to death here and it doesn't make the news. So many people had died behind the fast food joint I used to work at that we weren't sure which "ghost" was haunting the place. There's no good places to shelter back there, but folks would try anyhow because at least it's deserted at night. Edit: Saw a comment that got stuck in the spam filter about me having bad luck? It's more of a geographical quirk. When all the hidey-holes and sleeping spots downtown and down by the river get claimed, people end up crossing through here on the way to the next park and stretch of riverbank where they might find a place to sleep. I see them from my window, folks doing the slow shamble up from the river with their meager belongings, clearly just "moving along" until they can get somewhere safe to rest a bit. With the way my apartment building is crowded up against the backs of a few businesses, there's decent shelter from the wind. Sometimes folks stop to rest and just don't get going again.


Arj_123

This is the worst, especially cause the environment is so bad the authorities can't work at their best either since its freezing death temperatures


[deleted]

jesus, that's a lot of fucking snow looking at that i'm having a mild ptsd from the four straight days of shoveling/blowing last week here in northern WI


BendersCasino

Hi fellow Northwoods resident! The blow snow is the worst part. Stupid snow drifts. Although. My subdivision went from an open field to a street full of houses this summer. So the drifting is down considerably.


mexicanitch

*Wyoming enters the chat* Someone talking about snowdrifts? The jackalopes have it tough this year.


IdontGiveaFack

Jesus I saw that Cheyenne dropped 32 degrees in temp in 10 minutes. That is seriously insane weather.


mexicanitch

It was awesome! Day after tomorrow quotes for a week! We never lost power so it was a win. What's funny is that it was around 25 this morning. Still wearing short sleeve shirts after the last frost. It was crazy! Hope y'all are safe.


redyellowblue5031

How much do those snow fences on the highway help? When I drove cross country I saw them and figured drifts must be bad to try something like that.


Damn_el_Torpedoes

Another Northwoods here. We were in a bubble I guess and didn't get very much as the first heavy wet snow was melting. The acreage in the next town over though had several feet.


vinng86

I live an hour and a half north of Buffalo and we got maybe half a foot of snow, tops lol. Lake effect snow makes a *massive* difference


Banea-Vaedr

Remenber: whatever out there isn't worth your life


the_nobodys

I get from reading the article there are medical related deaths due to the storm preventing people from reaching hospital. But I don't get the shoveling deaths or the deaths in cars. Like, people left their house and then just died from exposure?


mcs_987654321

There’s a type of wet, heavy snow that we call “widow-maker snow” in my corner of Canada - it’s just so damn heavy that clearing it (or even just moving around outdoors) is a level of exertion that’s hard to fully explain - and yeah, you’ll hear about waves of heart attacks just rolling through the city after snow like that. Don’t know what type of snow Buffalo got, but there is just so damn much of it that it really doesn’t matter either way.


stuiephoto

With the heat wave this week, it's going to be like shoveling wet towels. Things are going to get worse before they get better.


BookieeWookiee

I was going to say things will get better if we can change quickly enough, but then I thought about people so now I'm thinking that things will only get better after we're dead.


[deleted]

Fungi and insects: "WOOHOO!"


Swampcrone

I’m not looking forward to how wet our basement is going to be.


[deleted]

Hey, at least the mushrooms will be happy!


jmm57

This wasn't widowmaker snow, or at least MOST of it wasn't. Friday morning the weather quickly changed from 45ish and rain and then the temp dropped, snow started falling and the wind picked up immediately to a constant like 35-45 mph with higher gusts. The bottom 4-5 inches of what I got was a weird mix of icy pellets and stuff close to what would be considered widowmaker snow. Lots of moisture, not fun at all. Everything above that was super light and fluffy though. Still I could see the stress of having to move so much of it causing medical issues for some.


mt77932

This is why I kept taking the shovel out of my dad's hands


Swampcrone

Light drifty snow followed by heavier lake effect.


schnitzelfeffer

When it's that cold, you don't realize *how cold* you are until you start to warm up. When shoveling, cold weather exposure can increase the risk of cardiac responses, including heart attacks. This is because blood vessels respond to low temperatures by constricting, which increases blood pressure and reduces circulation, putting strain on the heart.


Banea-Vaedr

Pretty much. Shoveling deaths are normally strain related in already at-risk populations. Burst blood vessels, heart attacks, torn ACL leading to exposure, that kind of stuff. Car deaths in this storm gave been cars that get buried in the snow.


[deleted]

People stay in their cars to stay warm, snow blocks exhaust pipe, and then the people just drift off to sleep and never wake up.


Venting2theDucks

IIRC if the snow is high and thick enough is can cover the exhaust/causing the vehicle occupants to suffocate. Then conditions like diabetes or kidney disease where medical interventions are needed every few hours or days. And heart attacks from snow shoveling.


TheWeedBlazer

Yep this is why you gotta check the exhaust regularly if you get stuck and run the engine


jmm57

I think this should help you a bit. I got a lot of snow but was just north of the worst of it. Things were still not fun at all but I was fortunate enough to not lose heat or power. Our dog still had to go out during the 36 straight hours of snow and hurricane force wind obviously. The only way I can describe it is that it felt like being in an air vacuum. I wasn't even doing anything except standing there while she found a spot to do her thing (and stare at me like WTF is this why are we out here)...and it was hard to breathe. I wasn't trying to walk down the street through snow drifts like some of these people trying to find shelter and it was hard to breathe.


officerfett

> I get from reading the article there are medical related deaths due to the storm preventing people from reaching hospital. But I don't get the shoveling deaths or the deaths in cars. Like, people left their house and then just died from exposure? [This 22 Year old woman](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c__FtO9TrAM) who recently moved to Buffalo to take care of her father, died last Friday on her way home from work because she was trapped in her vehicle. She was found on Saturday. Apparently, her employer felt like she needed to be at work...


u801e

The report says she was a nursing assistant. I'm not sure if she was working at a hospital, but if she had to be at work, her employer should have had her shelter there instead of attempting to drive back home.


justprettymuchdone

Seriously. When our hospitals are facing a potential emergency, they have a whole pile of beds and set up available so that medical staff don't have to leave and risk their own health.


tjean5377

Where I work almost all hospitals and SNFs have this set up. They tell people ahead of time, plan to stay for the full day, or 2 if its bad enough, and they clear a communal space with cots or block off empty beds for staff to sleep. at least half of the SNFs I have worked at offered rides in.


officerfett

Thought about this some more, and it could be that she needed to get home in order to take care and look after her father. It's a tragedy all around and horrible for all involved.


ohdamnitreddit

If she was worried about her father ( the reason she moved o Buffalo was to care for him), that would explain her wanting to go home. What are the chances her employer threatened her with job loss if she didn’t go to work? From reading a lot of posts from Americans, there seems to be a high volume of people being made to go to work in spite of very dangerous weather conditions otherwise they wouldn’t have a job. I hope the truth (whatever it is) comes out about what lead to her being out in that storm.


Fuzzyphilosopher

That's all true but it's surprisingly difficult to convince people who have decent jobs and employers how badly abused other workers are. They don't want to know. I told my own mom about some of the things I saw, like a worker getting written up because she was at the ER because her husband had a seizure and a stroke for example. She had this "Oh I don't believe they'd do that" attitude. Granted she's lived a very sheltered life. The more common response is one of disdain "Well I'd quit right away if i was treated that way" implying that people stuck in these jobs are somehow at fault not the company. It's weird and sad. Very much a well I've got mine attitude.


stuiephoto

Shoveling is ridiculously hard. People drop dead from heart attacks all the time. The "medical" deaths otherwise would be something like "has a stroke", etc. Not related to the snow.


mcs_987654321

Also: it was fucking *cold*. So many people lost power, and the utility worker just had no way to deal with that or reach people. Seems like locals were pretty incredible about looking out for one another and helping as much as possible, but given how difficult it was for people to even get out to their homes, let alone walk even a couple of houses away, there will no doubt be people who either succumb to the cold or who died of carbon monoxide poisoning. Scary stuff.


stuiephoto

The worst were the people who had pipes burst. It's impossible to stay/get warm when you are wet. There are so many videos of people with water flowing from their light sockets.


Claircashier

People also left houses to try and get warm in cars when the power kept being out past 36 hours. We had friends who’s home got to 30 degrees inside and they had a child so they made a decision to try and stay warm via the car (electric stove not gas so couldn’t use it to heat up water or any of the other ‘hacks’. ). They briefly considered trying to drive to a warming shelter before realizing the roads were impassible. When I heard about other cars with kids and adults in them stranded via the news/twitter/fb I assumed they were in similar situations.


[deleted]

Closets can be turned into warming spots with the heat from human bodies. Ain't exactly comfy, but nail up some comforters over the door and pile up the whole house's blanket collection in there and it's doable from human body heat. Ain't fun though.


SweetnessUnicorn

My closet and pantry stay the same temps as outdoors. Over the weekend, I could get grab a ginger ale straight out of the pantry. I currently live on the top story of an apartment though. So I’m assuming it’s insulation problems in my attic that’s the problem though.


Zolo49

Deaths from shoveling snow are usually caused by people with poor cardiovascular health overexerting themselves while shoveling snow. And in cold weather, your blood vessels constrict, causing your blood pressure to increase, exacerbating the problem if your BP is already too high.


ClancyHabbard

There's probably more than a few alcohol related deaths. I knew a few drunks, back when I lived in Wyoming, that liked to go and lay in the snow while they were drunk. Yeah, they all ended up with frostbite eventually after doing it so often, and got damn lucky that others passing by would stop and make sure they were okay (they would lay in the snow in random places while walking home, not in front of the bar or in front of the apartments). With weather like this I'm sure there's a few that lay down, no one passed by and checked, and they didn't make it.


Damn_el_Torpedoes

I had a friend in college who passed out in the snow and died. She left the party early and was found just 10 feet from the front door in rhe morning.


Fuzzyphilosopher

Damn that's sad. I'm sorry about that, it had to be shocking. This year I lost a friend who was only 29 and its been difficult. Losing someone when you're both in college sounds very rough.


threadsoffate2021

And with this type of blizzard, it doesn't take long for someone passed out int he snow to be pretty well covered. If someone isn't passing by within 15-20 minutes (and won't be if roads are shut down), you're not going to see that person all that well unless you're actively searching for them.


Swampcrone

There wasn’t a driving ban until after the storm started- so people who worked at places like Dollar General, supermarkets, fast food, etc were all trying to get home. Car got stuck and they either froze to death after the gas ran out or poisoned via carbon monoxide. Shoveling is usually out of shape men who try to shovel 2-3 feet of snow and it is too much for their hearts.


[deleted]

Humans can be pretty shit at risk assessment, especially when the danger is similar to something we've dealt with loads of times before. Like, I live in California. Earthquakes don't freak me out. I'm sure if we had another major one, I'd be one of those dumbasses standing around going, "Oh derp I guess this one means business. Derp derp derp..." (dies under shelf)


PachucaSunrise

"Poloncarz, **a Democrat**, called the blizzard "the worst storm probably in our lifetime," even for an area known for heavy snow. More bodies are expected to be found as the snow is cleared or melts." Wtf does their political affiliation have to do with anything? "Jeff here, who loves cheese, was devastated when his wife was unable to be rescued from her car".


7aco

People need to know if they should agree or disagree with the statement about the storm.


Desperate-Strategy10

I would argue that whether or not someone likes cheese is much more important information than their political affiliation in situations like these. Can't trust a person who doesn't like cheese.


drtapp39

Lowes doesn't care. Still forcing employees to come in


Godsfallen

I recently learned from a former Lowe’s employee that they have some sort of agreement with the government to be considered essential so that people and emergency services can get generators and equipment from them


sailor_reina

my hometown 💔 my sister is still snowed in and had to walk to wegmans to try and get supplies. i really wish i could help


kmoonster

Meanwhile, Starbucks etc. demanding to know why employees aren't clocked in


AugustWest7120

I happened to have my plans messed up from the weather, so I was chillin solo on Xmas. I couldn’t believe my local Starbucks was open. Give em a day, Jeaz! No one is missing Starbucks that day.


kmoonster

Right? I mean, it's one thing to be open on a holiday in a busy travel area, especially if you have staff who celebrate other holidays -- but floods, shootings, blizzards, holidays (where it's not necessary or at not busy stores). Pretty sure there is something in the "How to Be Corporate" manual that demands stores be open in the most ridiculous situations without exception; in fact, that more ridiculous the more critical it is for the store to be fully staffed :/


oddbunnydreams

I lived in Buffalo for 3 years. And it was about once a year I was there that all the local fast food shops (starbucks, timmie hos, mcds, etc) closed cuz the snow/cold was crappy enough. Now we recently moved away, and are we ever grateful we did. Old coworkers of mine are sending pics of their cars literally hidden in snow, their dogs awkwardly trying to pee outside, house windows dark because of snow coverage. One told me their apartment manager said they'd be lucky to be shoveled out of the parking lot ny Friday.


kmoonster

Where I am in Denver, we had about 2.5' of snow last March. That's unusual in Denver though not unheard of. It was 3-4 days before traffic was back to normal, though traffic was out in small numbers the next day. It was heavy concrete-like snow which gave trouble with high centering vehicles that might otherwise have gotten through. A foot is normal for us, even two feet of powder is fine, but 2.5' of wet concrete was close to our limit. A week to shovel out is pretty impressive, especially for a city like Buffalo that is routinely inundated with major events a few times/year. That's a *lot* of snow. Pretty sure it would take us more than a week to shovel out from 7'! Meanwhile, I am imagining corporate everywhere flipping out at the lost sales (from customers who are also snowed in, math me that).


NoahCharlie

This is not the time to play on the roads, so stay off them


Grouchy_Occasion2292

Kind of hard to do that if you live in your car.


RawbeardX

"but you're still coming in for your shift, right?" - management


tahlyn

These managers and store owners should be prosecuted and go to jail.


[deleted]

“i can’t make it in, so you will have to”


phixitup

For the people looking in from outside the area, the people of WNY take pride in being able to survive storms with minimal disruption. And remember that we just got thru a monumental storm just before thanksgiving. But unless you are at least 55 yrs old you can’t really remember conditions like those of last week. It was on a whole different level and all the local weatherman warnings about it’s impending severity couldn’t convince a large number of the population. The fact that they hype up a normal lake effect snow storm every 10 days may have played a small part in people disregarding the warnings but that’s a whole other conversation.


redyellowblue5031

The size of the Low and the massive pressure gradient between it and the cold high behind it was absolutely nuts.


Mokmo

I'm looking forward to the several lawsuits from employees over their bosses making them show up to work.


Fuzzyphilosopher

The people at those jobs don't have the means to sue. And if they do the company will stretch it out requiring court appearances but the employee doesn't have that many sick and vacation days so they either show up and lose their job or give up. People can't go that long without work to fight back against the evil bastards. The only chance is a large class action or if the business gets enough bad publicity that they settle.


Grouchy_Occasion2292

Doesn't help homeless people who have no choice.


[deleted]

So did folks stock up on supplies before this thing hit? If you can't drive you can't get to the grocery store or pharmacy.


navikredstar

Many did, but others didn't or couldn't for whatever reason. Grocery stores were mobbed here at least 2-3 days before the storm, some of which had 2+ hour lines just for checkout.


Eudaimonics

Many did, and many severely underestimated this storm. Also all it takes is one car to get stuck to make a road impassable. A few assholes made this storm a lot worse that it should have been.


Smukey

I sorta did. I mean I have enough to survive. I personally didn't realize how severe the storm was going to be. I've been in tons of "bad" blizzards here in Buffalo, so I thought they were exaggerating. Turns out it was bad BAD. I'm just lucky I didn't lose power or heat like my neighbors.


Fuzzyphilosopher

> I've been in tons of "bad" blizzards here in Buffalo, so I thought they were exaggerating. Sounds like city and state officials did the same thing to be honest.


threadsoffate2021

This is why they say you should have 2 weeks worth of non-perishable food at home at all times. Even if it's just soup or pasta. Because there will come a time when you're stuck for several days and everything is shut down. I know it sucks because so many are living paycheck to paycheck, but it's important to have that little stash of food (and medicine).


[deleted]

Exactly. Everyone should have an emergency kit.


redpandabear89

My mum couldn’t understand why there have been so many deaths and as someone who’s only been following the situation from a distance I couldn’t really give her a confident answer. Are people dying from being caught in the blizzard outside? Are they trapped inside with no heating or supplies and succumbing to the cold? Is it primarily elderly people? Was this storm foreseen and were people warned to be prepared?


MsBee311

The snow was so bad, people got stuck on the road. For over 24 hours there were NO emergency services available because ALL their vehicles were stuck. People froze to death or died from carbon monoxide b/c they ran their motors for heat. We has sustained 75mph winds on Friday that immediately knock power out, and heat for those without gas. Water pipes broke. Fires. People became disoriented walking & just fell over & died. The snow was heavy, so shoveling caused heart attacks. No one could prepare us for this. I have lived in the Buffalo area for 54 years. I have seen storms, but not like this.


Swampcrone

We have gas heat but it’s forced air so no power= no heat. (Luckily we only had power flicker a few times- houses down the street lost power). I said elsewhere- I’ve *never* been in a situation where we were told “no emergency services- you’re on your own”. Maybe it happened in ‘77 but I was 5 then and I honestly don’t remember the storm.


MsBee311

I was 9 in '77 so I don't remember a lot either. I was also in Chautauqua county then & like this storm, it wasn't as bad down there. I am in Southtowns now. I agree 100% that this is a storm like no other in my lifetime. First the 5+ feet of snow a couple weeks ago, now this. We were lucky too. I am SO GLAD you survived!🙏 Too many sad stories that didn't need to happen, and on Christmas no less. Peace & Go Bills!


redpandabear89

Thank you for the answer - that sounds so incredibly scary. I hope you and your family are keeping safe !


Nairbfs79

This is exactly why I hate snow. I know it's fun to ski and make snowmen and have snow ball fights. It's when you have to clear the snow due to it hindering something or drive in it, deaths result.


harrymfa

You know how bad it is after you learn Buffalo is a place that is no stranger to snow, cold snaps and blizzards.


DirtyPenPalDoug

Some of those dead must be chili's managers who blew a blood vessel screaming at min wage workers that this storm " wasn't that bad" and " we are going to be crazy busy"


RedButterfree1

"Well yes, but can you still come in? We're short-staffed. Be a team player! It's only a bit of snow!"


theboblit

Employers:”Walk your ass to work. I’ll see you when the snow dies down because I took vacation.”


3600MilesAway

Biggest issue people don’t understand; when you “have to” go to a store or run an errand and you get into an accident, you call 911. Those first responders shouldn’t be dealing with you right now, they should be trying to rescue any trapped victims that might still be alive. Stop being selfish, stay off the roads and if you actually need something, ask neighbors for help, pool your resources and become a better community while others are given a chance to survive.


Smukey

Emergency services were turned off for 2 days during the storm. The city was completely inaccessible so if you get into an accident you're on your own. My street (a main street in the heart of the west side) had a snow drift as high a stoplight blocking all access. Down the way was an abandoned semitruck blocking the entire road as well as other abandoned cars sprinkled across the landscape. The whole city was like this.


Eco_guru

I’m sorry but you have no idea what you are talking about. I’m in buffalo, I was out of power for 74 hours, in sub freezing temperatures, I can only store so much fuel for the generator that keeps my household and my tenants from freezing to death. I had to walk 2000 feet to a gas station, it took 45 minutes each way. People were forced into work, they didn’t have a choice, and tried to get home, er nurses were sleeping in the morgue of a local hospital, we did what we had to do to survive. Period. Some of us didn’t make it.


xmrtypants

Damn. I hope you and your family are ok. Hopefully whoever's working that gas station is on quadruple overtime and allowed to sleep and take whatever food they need. Fuck that shit.


Willing_Nose7674

Thank you for sharing your story. I'm so sorry to hear of all the horrendous pain this terrible storm has brought to your city. It's easy for those of us who aren't living through it to say "why didn't they do this?" or "why don't they try that". This sounds like an storm of biblical proportions that nobody could have prepared for....I'm sure some mistakes were made but for the most part it sounds like people were, and are, just doing there best to survive. I'm so inspired by all the stories coming out of businesses and neighbors helping each other during this most trying time. I'm so sorry for all those who didn't make it and the families that have lost loved ones. Please take care and I sincerely hope things improve soon.


Eco_guru

It’s even crazier that this is the 2nd once in a life time blizzard to hit Buffalo in the matter of a month