Blizzard of 1977 in Western NY

Marie5656

Marie5656

SF VIP
Location
Batavia, NY
Today is the anniversary of what is now remembered as the "blizzard of '77 here in my neck of the woods. Lots of businesses closed for several days, people were pretty stranded.
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On this day.."The “Blizzard of 1977” is arguably the worst storm to hit Batavia in modern times. It began on January 28, 1977 and the main blast lasted for more than a day . The blizzard completely paralyzed the area and marooned thousands. The
wind chill dropped to as low as minus 68 and drifts piled as high as two-story houses. Roads could not be reopened for many days in some instances. One of the common recollections of
individuals who lived through the experience was the suddenness with which the storm struck. One minute, the day was calm and visibility fine. Literally the next minute, the winds were
roaring and visibility dropped to nearly zero"
 

Marie5656 said:
Today is the anniversary of what is now remembered as the "blizzard of '77 here in my neck of the woods. Lots of businesses closed for several days, people were pretty stranded.
View attachment 205786

On this day.."The “Blizzard of 1977” is arguably the worst storm to hit Batavia in modern times. It began on January 28, 1977 and the main blast lasted for more than a day . The blizzard completely paralyzed the area and marooned thousands. The
wind chill dropped to as low as minus 68 and drifts piled as high as two-story houses. Roads could not be reopened for many days in some instances. One of the common recollections of
individuals who lived through the experience was the suddenness with which the storm struck. One minute, the day was calm and visibility fine. Literally the next minute, the winds were
roaring and visibility dropped to nearly zero"
Click to expand...
It reached further south in NY, too.
I recall it hit a couple of days after I 'officially' graduated (mid-term) from High School.
 
We've had some doozies!

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Thanks to technology & the kind of advanced notification possible now, that kind of instant grief shouldn't paralyze people to the extent the blizzard of 77 did.

I can't imagine the suffering of no cell phone or computer use for several days would have on those affected if a blizzard like that were to hit now.
 
"By January 1977, in the midst of an especially harsh winter and following years of economic decline, Buffalo had already spent all its resources and could not have coped with the fallout of the storm without outside aid. On February 5, President Carter threw a lifeline, designating nine counties in New York, including Buffalo, as a major disaster area, the first time a snowfall had triggered a federal disaster declaration. But it was not the last. The Federal Emergency Management Office was established the following year."

https://www.naturalhistorymag.com/b...alo-s-blizzard-of-77-and-the-creation-of-fema
 
How did you deal with that extreme cold Marie?! They wrote about the suddeness of it but wasn't a blizzard forecast? That's the perfect example of why people should keep food staples in stock
 

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