If you are like many other Buffalonians, you may not have realized that parts of the area were hit by a massive lake effect snow storm that shut down portions of the New York State Thruway for nearly 48 hours this past week! While some individuals were still seeing green out their windows, others were trying to keep up with the feet of snow that were quickly beginning to accumulate. If you were lucky, you at least made it home. Hundreds of people were stranded on the Thruway for hours before emergency personnel could reach them. More than 80 people accepted transportation to the American Red Cross’s warming center at the Cheektowaga Senior Center on Broadway. While we couldn’t help these individuals free their stranded vehicles, we were able to provide them with a warm meal and some basic comforts while they waited for safe transportation to their area homes. We also provided hotel rooms for 13 individuals who were not from this area so that they had a safe to be until their cars were excavated from the snow pile that had once been the Thruway.
With the first official day of winter not until December 21 and Buffalo already being hit by a major snow storm, we here at the Chapter hope that everyone takes the hint and starts preparing! If you were one of those 80 individuals stranded in their cars for over 18 hours, would you have had blankets, food, water and activities to sustain you? If not, the time to start making a preparedness kit for your car is now, since even more snow is predicted for the Buffalo area this week.
If you think that your school, company or other organization would benefit from a Be Red Cross Ready presentation that addresses issues such as winter preparedness, please contact Denise Herkey-Jarosch, Regional Coordinator, NYS Citizens Preparedness Program at (716) 878-2231 to set up a presentation.
The snow is falling, falling, falling today! But just hold on Buffalonians, a warm up is on the way! 
