Buffalo cleans up, braces for floods

BUFFALO, N.Y. — Beth Bragg’s home was spared the worst of a lakeeffect storm that buried parts of the Buffalo area under more than 7 feet of snow. But she was still out first thing Saturday with her shovel — along with hundreds of other volunteers.

“I know that people really need to get shoveled out, especially some of the older folks, so I’m just doing my part to help out,” said the bank manager and “shovel brigade” member.

The weekend offered the region a chance to dig out before a flood watch was to take effect because of rising temperatures and rain. And Buffalo was living up to its nickname, “The City of Good Neighbors.”

“They’re like angels,” said Kevin Masterson, 61, after a handful of volunteers swarmed in to free his and his brother-in-law’s cars from the drifts. “I was out shoveling and … all of the sudden I had all these people.”

One of the volunteers, Greg Sch- reiber, said he’d keep going “until the back gives out.”

Seneca Street in south Buffalo was jammed with dump trucks, military vehicles and front loaders rumbling through the streets as they hauled away the canyon walls of snow.

“It’s just a war zone here,” said Eric Ginsburg, standing outside of his store, Ginzy’s. “All the military here, the police. It’s just crazy. Most snow I’ve ever seen.”

With roughly the equivalent of six inches of rain tied up in the snowpack, the National Weather Service issued a flood watch for 1 p.m. today through 7 a.m. Wednesday. Temperatures were expected to be near 50 degrees today, near 60 on Monday.

A Weather Service meteorologist said there might be drainage trouble as snow and autumn leaves block catch basins. The threat of rain also heightened fears of roof collapses on already strained structures. Thirty major collapses have been reported.