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Residents in western New York are preparing for possible floods after nearly seven feet of snow fell in the area. VPC
Mark Petrik and Dennis Smith dig out their south Buffalo driveway on Saturday.(Photo: Mike Groll, AP)
The cold eased and it was no longer snowing Sunday in battered Buffalo and elsewhere around the Great Lakes.
Here comes the rain.
That could mean intense flooding for the beleaguered region. Areas that saw up to 7 feet of lake-effect snow in recent days were basking in temperatures well above freezing Sunday. Buffalo could see 60 degrees on Monday. But the warm front was bringing showers, and many places will see driving rain by Monday.
Weather Channel meteorologist Jon Erdman said rainfall totals of an inch or more are possible in parts of snow-weary Michigan through early Monday, and a half-inch of rain could fall over the heavy western New York snowpack.
"That's the flip side of the warm-up, dealing with the snow melt and the potential flooding," he said.
The National Weather Service has issued a flood warning into Monday afternoon for the Great Lakes region. Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz told Buffalo's WGRZ-TV his county has 25 pumps at 3 staging areas that are ready to pump out water from flooded areas -- and has rented 8 more pumps if they are needed.
In addition to the equipment, 69,000 water bottles and 5,300 meals-ready-to-eat are being prepared for any potential flooding victims, Poloncarz said.
New York State is also providing a five-county area with 51 boats, 375 heavy-duty pumps, 29 high-axle vehicles, more than 500 National Guard troops and more than 176,000 sandbags.
The snow storm, blamed for at least a dozen deaths, began Monday and lasted deep into the week. More than 30 roof collapses have been reported in the Buffalo area alone, but the National Weather Service warned that residents attempting to clear snow from their roofs should proceed with caution.
Rain collecting in rooftop snow will add stress to a roof. The weather service warned that residents inside their homes should evacuate immediately if they hear cracking or popping from the roof.
National Weather Service meteorologist Jon Hitchcock also warned that storm drains could clog as snow and uncollected autumn leaves block catch basins.
City officials said residents should prepare for the possibility of flooded basements in the coming days.
Nichole Kepple hugs Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown, thanking him for efforts to clear south Buffalo streets on Nov. 22.(Photo: Mike Groll, AP)
"We are preparing for the worst but hoping for the best," Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown said. He said the city was making significant progress clearing streets, but that a ban on driving will continue in hard-hit South Buffalo. Hundreds of dump trucks, loaders and other snow removal equipment continued to work around the clock, he said.
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Hundreds of volunteers turned out in a "shovel brigade" Saturday to help Buffalo residents dig out after they were pummeled by lake-effect snow from Lake Erie. One of the volunteers, Greg Schreiber, said he'd keep going "until the back gives out."
"They're like angels," said Kevin Masterson, 61, after a handful of volunteers helped free his and his brother-in-law's cars from the drifts. "I was out shoveling and … all of a sudden I had all these people."
Contributing: WGRZ-TV in Buffalo; Associated Press
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