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Buffalo snowstorm: Watchdog report cites multiple failures

According to a watchdog report released Friday, government officials failed to account for multiple accounts during the 2022 Buffalo blizzard that killed 31 people, which detailed numerous issues Topics range from poor communication with people to outdated and inoperable equipment.

The storm flooded Buffalo with more than 50 inches of snow over the Christmas period, causing snowfalls as high as 15 feet and killing 15 Erie County residents along with 31 deaths within Buffalo’s city limits. The storm included hurricane-like winds, power outage conditions, and wind chill temperatures down to minus 30 degrees.

During the four-day storm, Buffalo’s lack of appropriate equipment and response disproportionately affected communities of color, New York University researchers report. The report said the majority of those who died in the city were Black residents.

The report said Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown authorized the report in an effort to “be better prepared for future blizzards of this magnitude.”

“These are extreme weather conditions. Our city has shouldered the brunt of this historic blizzard,” Brown said in a statement Friday. “In the days before the storm and after the storm, I took proactive steps to help ensure a better response to future storms.”

Nine university researchers and advisors said the report “aims to help the city move forward and make meaningful progress” and “will help put Buffalo in a better position to prepare and respond.” and recover from the great storms ahead.”

The researchers found Buffalo’s emergency equipment and facilities were inadequate and hampered response.

“During the storm, fire trucks and ambulances were trapped in snow or frozen on the ground, exacerbating the emergency,” the report said. “[E]With mutual assistance, the number of snow removal vehicles is still insufficient to clear roads across Buffalo for more than a week.”

In addition, the report found that the blizzard flooded the city’s power grid, leaving about 20,000 customers, including burned homes in Buffalo and the city’s Department of Public Works garage, without power during the day. storm most of the time.

GOVERNMENT DOESN’T RIGHT INFORMATION TO POPULATIONS ABOUT SEVERE OF STORM

Buffalo’s response to the storm was also hampered by poor communications and delays from government agencies, according to the researchers.

“Warnings related to travel bans and stay-at-home orders are not sufficient to adequately convey the urgency of the situation,” the report said. “Additionally, only 16% of residents are subscribed to the City’s text message alert system, BUFFALERT. Although heating centers were available during the blizzard, providing electricity, heat and necessities, information regarding when and how to reach the centers was incomplete.”

Many drivers are still out on the roads during the travel ban, and the researchers found that delayed road closures may be contributing to the number of vehicles stranded during the storm.

Poor communication extends to the county’s dispatch software, which can only view 25 calls at a time, despite a backlog of 1,100 emergency calls during the storm, the report said.

The report states: “Seven people have died in Erie County from what officials have described as delayed EMS responses due to backlogs of calls, uncultivated streets and stranded vehicles causing traffic jams. jam”.

RATE OF COLOR PEOPLE DIE IN THE STORM

Responding to the storm also worsened existing inequalities in the city. Of the 31 deaths, 20 were people of color, the researchers found.

“About two-thirds of the city’s residents who died in the blizzard were Black, as were more than half of the deaths countywide. However, Black residents constitute only 33% of Buffalo’s population and 14% of Erie County’s population,” the report states.

Many residents of the city left their homes in the midst of the storm to find food and necessities because they did not have money to stock up ahead of time. The report found that two of the three damaged substations were located in predominantly Black neighborhoods.

The researchers also found that low-income areas felt the effects of uncultivated roads the most. “Community leaders claim that counties with more black and poor residents are the last to receive plowing services, and share photos and personal accounts they consider pro-love. this book,” according to the report.

RECOMMENDED REPORT FOR THE NEXT STORM, RECOMMENDED FOR PROGRESSION

Along with the critiques, the report also commended the city for its various actions during the storm. The researchers highlight how local officials “were able to maintain adequate staffing at firehouses thanks to well-developed reserve planning,” coordinating 600 snow removal vehicles in the county and state, and successfully responded to more than 4,100 distress calls during the storm.

The report also applauded the Buffalo Police Department’s use of “unique resources” for rescues, including diving equipment “because the material is more weather-resistant than regular police uniforms. “

The report makes several recommendations to help the city prepare for next winter:

  • Build greater partnerships with state, federal, and private sector officials
  • Consolidate the city’s Emergency Operations center, establish a full-time emergency manager in the city, and secure additional funding for a new Ministry of Public Works facility
  • Improve emergency communications to residents and expand subscriptions in the city’s text messaging system
  • Announce travel ban earlier before bad weather
  • Develop an “extreme event management plan” in the city

The mayor’s office said Friday that the state of New York has allocated $10 million to build a new public works facility. The mayor also said the city had recently purchased more snow removal equipment and machinery used to move stuck cars. Two new positions were also added: Fleet Manager and Emergency Operations Manager.

The mayor’s office also said new signs have been added in public locations to warn residents of impending weather conditions and the resources available to help them. State funding has also been secured to “help low-income East Buffalo homeowners stay on top of their water, sewer, and tax bills, as well as assist with home repair costs,” the statement said. the press said.



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