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Even though there have been lots of variables and treacherous moments these last two days, one thing is for sure: the City of Batavia community has been rich in response to the needs of strangers.

All day long has been filled with gifts from a “friends and family” initiative to ensure that motorists stranded at one of the 11 warming shelters, and the emergency responders that rescued them, are warm and fed, City Manager Rachael Tabelski said. She, city and county staff, including Manager Matt Landers had been manning the effort all day at the city fire station.

“There have been a lot of family donations. Matt got a ton of deliveries,” Tabelski said Saturday evening. “He’s going to be getting a ton of pots and pans back.”

Landers had contacted about 20 friends seeking food for the more than 550 visitors that got stuck after being diverted from the Thruway Friday. Motorists have been from near and far — Lockport, Canada, Connecticut, Los Angeles, Maryland, to name a few — and found themselves at a fire hall, church or hotel lobby seeking refuge from the bitter cold.

“I’m doing what I can to help; I’m not out there rescuing people, so I’m doing what I can,” he said. “We were getting low on food at the shelters and for responders. I texted 20 friends and colleagues, and they texted others.”

He drove to about 15 homes to pick up their offerings — from a ham and tray of potatoes from County Legislator Marianne Clattenburg and eight to 10 trays of food from Settler’s Restaurant to Mike Ficarella’s chili, food items from City Council President Eugene Jankowski, to tuna casserole, ziti and sweet treats from city schools board member Alice Benedict.

Other donations from at least two dozen individuals, groups, schools and churches also included blankets, cots, soups, mac ’n cheese, bottled water, and the countless deliveries from emergency responders.

A shelter opened at Grace Baptist in Batavia, the only one in the city, has been “doing a very good job” with providing care, Tabelski said. And they have room in case anyone has lost power or is stranded in the city, she said.

"Thank God Grace Baptist Church took my family and others who were stranded in,” motorist Nick Bankovic texted to friend Bill Hume. “Batavia’s Original pizza donated pies here for everyone, and a bunch of locals have been dropping off food ’n drinks. This definitely got travelers in high spirited moods. I think this also brought excellent exposure to the entire city of Batavia to all these travelers."

As for city streets, the second surge predicted to hit earlier Saturday kept getting pushed back, Tabelski said, but staff was ready. The travel ban was to keep city streets cleared for snowplowing and emergency vehicles, she said, but it was most likely confusing for another part of the county.

“Half of our county looks great,” she had said in late afternoon. “It isn’t bad now, but could get bad really quickly. We can plow more and keep it cleared Our goal is to keep the city functional and operational.”

Several tractor trailers that had been moved off the Thruway were parked alongside local roads, and the plan was to get them into the Wal-mart parking lot, she said.

“We’re really just support right now, and trying to get food out,” she said. “The travel ban is to keep those 18-wheelers off city streets, and to keep the roads open and clear.”

City hotels booked up to capacity Friday, though stragglers that got caught in the storm were given shelter in hotel lobbies. Jolene emailed The Batavian to praise the job being done by Quality Inn staff, Rich Kress in particular.

“I just wanted to write to tell you I think there are some pretty amazing people that need to be recognized for their actions during the storm. We were completely booked early on in the day yesterday, but the staff and residents here are amazing for the most part. They stayed up the entire night letting people come in off the streets,” she said. “They refused no one. Every corner of our lobby was full. They made coffee all night long and put out food that was meant for the free breakfast for residents. They gave people pillows and blankets and even brought out cribs for infants. None of them had to do any of that.”

Jolene didn’t respond to an email for further details, but her sentiment was well received.

“I think it's amazing and I feel that they should be recognized. (Rich Kress) stayed up the entire night running around collecting furniture from other floors and rooms for people to be able to rest in the lobby. He is actually still down there now with the displaced people,” she said. “It's not often you come across people like these guys. They really do give a damn.”

Weather and travel bans/advisories will be posted as received. If more food is needed this weekend, that appeal will also be posted on The Batavian.

Meanwhile, Landers will be trying to track down the owners of soup pots, pans and slow-cookers.

Top Photo: City Manager Rachael Tabelski, right, and city staff work to take in and distribute food donations Saturday at the city fire station; emergency responders occasionally get a break to nourish themselves; bags of goods went out to warming shelters; the community was generous with donations of food items.

Photos submitted by City of Batavia.

Gov. Kathy Hochul talked on Saturday about the relentless winter storm moving throughout New York State. She toured portions of the state and will be giving assessment updates throughout the weekend. She ordered the National Guard to move into Buffalo to assist due to "the blinding snow, the zero visibility, absolute whiteouts," adding that Elliott "may go down as one of the worst in history."

There are about 73,000 customers without power in this region, including 5,000 in Genesee County, she said. 

In addition to the Statewide State of Emergency, Hochul will also be asking for a federal emergency to be declared, she said in a press release issued Saturday afternoon.

"People are comparing this to the dreaded blizzard of '77, where Buffalo first got its reputation for having an unprecedented amount of snow. We broke that record again a month ago," she said. "So it's very clear to me that the effects of climate change are wreaking havoc everywhere from the streets of Queens with flooding, all the way up to the City of Buffalo.

"But it is life-threatening, what is going on as we speak in Buffalo. Getting calls through the night from frightened neighbors where the temperature's been off for many, many hours - over the course of a day, day and a half.

"So that seems to be the epicenter of this storm that just doesn't seem to be moving on, she said. It is concentrated there," she said. "And so the National Guard had to come in to help with medical emergencies, people who cannot get to the hospital if necessary, to help doctors and nurses get to their jobs in hospitals and health care facilities, as well as helping our seniors who are stranded.

"So we have had people stranded on the highways. I understand that the New York State Thruway, which remains closed in the Western part of the region, we had over 20 people stranded in a very small stretch up until just a short time ago, as well as several hundred who've been stranded on various roads throughout the region.

"What happens in those circumstances? People literally trapped in their cars overnight. Fortunately, our State Police were able to make contact with every single individual, and we literally had snowplows going up to the vehicles and rescuing people, taking them out, and getting them into warming centers because it is absolutely dangerous for anyone to be on the roads - and that includes our emergency vehicles," she said. "So our National Guard, our first responders, our ambulances, our fire trucks are all getting stuck in the snow as well. In fact, almost every fire truck in the City of Buffalo is stranded, it is stuck in snow. And we're just getting through releasing of about 14 or so ambulances that were stuck as well."

More locally, Genesee County's various police, fire, and emergency crews have been out now for two days, retrieving people from snowbanks and ditches or otherwise were stranded due to no visibility. 

The basic message is that warming centers will remain open while people are encouraged to stay home. Roads are closed throughout Western New York and will be, probably through Christmas Day, Hochul said.

Her press release included:

And it's really sad for all the individuals who have not been able to see family members - airport delays, and not able to be driving because of driving bans. But it is more important that people stay safe. You'll have your holiday with your loved ones over New Year's and into the next year. But this is a weekend where it is absolutely dangerous in some parts of our state, particularly the Western part, to be out there. So we want to encourage people to stay where they are.

In addition to having a statewide Emergency Declaration, I'll be asking the federal government for a Declaration of Emergency that'll allow us to seek reimbursements for the extraordinary expenses of all the overtime and the fact that we've brought in mutual aid from other parts of the state. We've deployed individuals, whether it's the utility crews have come, but also making sure that we have all the vehicles we need. But literally, they cannot get through right now, no matter how many emergency vehicles we have, they just can't get through the conditions as we speak.

So that is what's happening in other parts of the state. At this point, I'll be asking Kathryn Garcia, the Head of Statewide Operations who's been embedded with all of us in our command centers monitoring what's going on throughout the state.

But I did want to put a special spotlight right now on the City of New York. It got through some tough circumstances, with the high winds, the ice, the freezing cold. And it is still a dangerous situation. We want to confirm that just because you see clear skies and the rain has stopped and the flooding seems to have abated, that it is still vulnerable because of the icy cold temperatures which can be life-threatening.

 

 

 

A loader is reported on fire in a hay barn at 9290 York Road, Le Roy.

Le Roy Fire and Pavilion Fire are dispatched.

UPDATE 2:23 p.m. Second alarm. Engine from City of Batavia, Stafford, Pavilion and Bergen all requested to the scene. The closest hydrant is East Main at York.

UPDATE 2:30 p.m.: The loader has been moved from the barn. The fire in the barn is out.

UPDATE 2:31 p.m.: The assignment can be held to what is currently on the road. Second alarm responding units canceled. 

New closers and cancellations are being announced.  For the previous list, click here. Email your closures and cancellations to news@thebatavian.com

• Empire Tractor is closed today
• Northgate Church to cancel Christmas Eve and Christmas Day Services Scheduled services that were to take place on Saturday and Sunday at Northgate Church (8160 Bank Street Road) and Arbor House (350 Bank St) have been canceled due to travel bans and current weather conditions. There will be an online service available beginning at 5 p.m. on Friday. To view the online service, visit northgatefmc.com or Facebook.com/northgatefmc
• Batavia First Presbyterian Church. With the continued storm and travel ban in our county, we have made the decision to cancel in-person worship and go to an online option. The online Christmas worship will go live at 7 pm today, December 24. It will have a mix of prayers, readings, and music. Here is the link to use: https://www.facebook.com/fpcbatavia/videos/.
• The East Bethany Presbyterian Church Candlelight Service scheduled for tonight at 7 p.m. is canceled. 
• Services at St. Padre Pio Parish are canceled tonight and tomorrow.
• Byron Presbyterian Church has canceled tonight's and tomorrow's services.
• All Christmas masses canceled at Resurrection Parish 
• Buffalo Niagara International Airport is closed until 11 a.m. Monday.
• St. Paul's UCC Attica has canceled Christmas Eve services at 11 p.m. tonight.

The National Weather Service is predicting that a large band of lake effect snow that also already dumped several feet of snow on Alabama and Oakfield is going to move south into the Center of Genesee County, including the City of Batavia.

In response, City Manager Rachael Tabelski has declared a state of emergency for the city.

The Local State of Emergency has been declared due to hazardous weather conditions, high winds, and increasing snowfall accumulation. This order also includes a travel ban on all City of Batavia Streets and a parking ban across the city.

The order is in effect for five days or until it is lifted by the City Manager.

It is a Class B misdemeanor to disobey the order.

So far, it might be classified as a Christmas miracle, said County Manager Matt Landers.

With dozens of people trapped in vehicles for hours and cars all around Oakfield and Alabama buried in up to five feet of snow, emergency crews have yet to uncover any fatalities.

County Highway Superintendent Tim Hens said with hours of the storm yet to weather, and emergency responders working around the clock, he's still nervous about people's safety, but he, too, is hoping for a Christmas miracle.

Hens spent all night with County Highway workers running heavy loaders with big plows attached ahead of convoys of search and rescue crews, and he said the situation is the worst he's seen in his life.

"It is frustrating because we knew people really needed to help, and he just couldn't get to him," Hens said. "It seemed like no matter which way we went, whatever road we went down or whatever piece of equipment we took, it just was zero visibility. I mean, you could literally not see past the hood of your own car. Even though we had loaders with huge blades on them, and the Sheriff's were using MRAPs, the military vehicles that they've acquired, and we had tracked vehicles and groomers that are used for snowmobile trails and things like that, you just couldn't see where you're going. It was just extremely frustrating and scary."

Hens said in those conditions -- strong winds, zero visibility, 20 degrees below zero with windchill, a person outside without protective gear couldn't last long.

"You just can't see where you're going," Hens said. "It's disorienting. It's cold. The wind is ripping right through everything you've got on. Like I said, every little hair on your body accumulates ice and snow. If you didn't have goggles on, you're out of luck. The one time I jumped out (of my truck) to put a strap on a truck to pull somebody out, I forgot to put my goggles on, my eyelashes froze together. That was interesting."

While many people have been rescued, there's no way of knowing how many people haven't been rescued, hence the hope for a miracle. 

"I'm still relatively nervous about it because, I mean, there's still a lot of cars that have not been found yet," Hens said. "So there are still people in cars that have been there for a long time. There is the possibility that people got out of their cars and went looking for their own help, to a neighboring house or something like that and like I said, it is so disorienting. If you got out of your car last night, you wouldn't have known that there could have been a house 20 feet from you, and you wouldn't have seen it."

A large number of cars being located after getting stuck on Route 77, Route 63, Ledge Road, Judge Road, etc., have Canadian or out-of-state license plates. That's a factor of the state closing the Thruway and motorists relying on Google or Apple maps.  They got no warning that there was a travel ban in place or that a blizzard was passing over the very routes Google and Apple were suggesting.

"We probably would have had to have dealt with 30 or 40 cars, maybe, of our own people," Landers said. "But now we're having a couple of hundred cars. This is the GPS that was sending everybody right through Route 63, Route 77, right through the heart of the worst of the storm."

Landers said he isn't pointing a finger at the state.  He understands the need to close the Thruway, but there needs to be a better plan, and the state needs to lean on GPS mappers so that the maps do a better job of warning drivers of critically dangerous conditions.

"The solution can't simply be close the Thruway, and now it's a free for all into the small communities like Genesee County, Alabama and Oakfield," Landers said. "So it's something that I have reached out with the state about this morning. And again, it's not to be pointing the finger. It's just a matter that we have to learn from this because this situation was exasperated multiple times over by the fact that we get people from Los Angeles, people from Ohio, people from all over the place going on our back roads."

Hens said he hopes the governor's office will lean on Google to fix its technology.

"A lot of Canadians we talked to last night said, 'I was following my Google Map. I was following my Google Map, and I saw the red lines on the Google Map for traffic, and we just thought it was a traffic jam,'" Hens said. "They didn't know it was a lake effect snow band. And most people have never been in a lake effect snow band, so they didn't even know what it's like."

There are still hundreds of personnel -- volunteers and paid staff -- out on search and rescue missions.

Landers praised their dedication, hard work, and willingness to put their own safety at risk to help others.

He also marveled at all the residents and business owners who have been open to provide food and shelter to stranded travelers.  He said the county's human resources director, Anita Cleveland, took in a family of five overnight after the deputy who rescued them had become stuck in the snow.

Currently, there are 11 warming shelters open, and they are caring for 582 people.

"It's all hands on deck," Landers said.

And it's not over.

While the large lake effect snow band that hovered over Alabama and Oakfield most of the night has moved north, giving rescues some respite to get their work done, it's expected to drive south again, not only passing over those communities again but also into Batavia.

"The band is forecast to slowly move south across the county, I think, beginning about two or three o'clock this afternoon and will be kind of centered around the county, more of a traditional Airport, Batavia, kind of alignment for most of the afternoon and early evening from what the National Weather Service says," Hens said. "With snowfall rates of one to two inches an hour, so I would say from my experience, Darien, Pembroke, Alexander, and Batavia will take the brunt of it from a severity standpoint, and then it'll taper off. It looks like conditions will deteriorate for most of the center part of the county later this afternoon."

With the storm expected to last well into the night and perhaps into Sunday morning, Hens isn't just nervous about the safety of people out on the roads, he's nervous about remaining operations. People are tired and equipment is being heavily used.

"I'm just nervous that we're gonna have equipment breaking," Hens said. "You know, we've been using it pretty heavy now for 24 hours straight in some pretty wicked conditions. ... I'm nervous that someone's gonna get hurt or equipment is gonna get broken, and then we're going to have the band come back through, and we're going to be caught sideways a little bit, but fingers crossed, like Matt said, we need a little bit of a Christmas miracle."

Members of the Genesee Snopackers have been out all night and into the morning assisting search and rescue crews locate and rescue stranded motorists in the Alabama and Oakfield areas, Vice President Nate Fix reports.

Fix said he's been working with fellow Snopacker Tony Johnston since about 9 p.m.

They've deployed the Snopackers groomers to assist rescue convoys, which includes two MRAPs from Orleans County and Livingston County along with five Sheriff's patrol vehicles and the Oakfield Fire Department.

"We have successfully rescued over 25 people some would not have made any longer and needed immediate medical attention," Fix said."We covered from the Oakfield Fire Hall to a mile west of Macomber Road, leading the convoy back to Oakfield with rescued people. We then went Route 63 toward Batavia Townline Road, Maple to Ledge Road, and all the way to the Indian Falls Fire Hall where we took more survivors.

When he provided the report, about 30 minutes ago, the crew was back on Ledge Road and moving toward the Tonawanda Indian Reservation. They were on their way to rescue a family of five. 

Photos submitted by Nate Fix.

UPDATE: Johnston and Fix back at the Snopackers garage after 15 hours of search and rescue work.

 

Press release:

Road conditions in several areas of Genesee County, mostly the Western towns, continue to be extremely dangerous with severe blizzard conditions, blowing and drifting snow, zero visibility and extreme cold temperatures.  Emergency service providers are still in the process of attempting to clear vehicles that became stranded overnight. 

After consulting with the Genesee County Highway Superintendent, Emergency Management Services Coordinator, and the County Manager, Genesee County Sheriff Sheron updates the Genesee County travel ban for the following:

- a travel ban remains in effect for Alabama, Oakfield, Elba, Pembroke, Darien,

  Batavia, Alexander.

- the travel ban has been downgraded to a travel advisory, effective at noon today,

  December 24, for Byron, Bergen, Bethany, LeRoy, Stafford, Pavilion.

“We cannot stress enough how important it is for your safety and that of our emergency personnel that you stay where you are until conditions improve.  Hundreds of vehicles are stranded, and it has been very challenging, if not impossible, to get to them.  We want everyone to have a safe holiday so if you have to postpone family gatherings, please do so.  It could save your life or that of your loved ones,” stated Sheriff Sheron. 

A travel ban means no travel for anyone except emergency vehicles which includes police, ambulance, snow plows, fire, etc. 

A travel advisory means that no unnecessary travel is advised.  A trip which could wait until the advisory is lifted should not be made. 

As of 7 a.m., Ken Lauer says Route 33 is pretty much blocked by some tractor-trailers.  Route 77 seems OK "but you gotta be nuts to be driving," he says. "Too much blowing to estimate snowfall, but drifts are two to four feet.  Crosby on the corner is open.  I’m at the bakery if someone needs warmth and a hot beverage.  Looks like Santa Amazon is in need of Rudolph and some large tow trucks."

Email weather-related photos to howard@thebatavian.com or text to (585) 260-6970

Jason Smith's dogs in Batavia are a bit unsure about going outside.

Photo submitted by Leah Buckel. "This tree narrowly missed our house! Unfortunately, part of it did hit my husband's car."

We're starting our Day #2 coverage of Winter Storm Elliott in Genesee County.  This post will be anchored at the top of the home page until further notice.  For Friday's coverage, click here.

See also these stories we published Friday night:

• City and County closes Friday but essential services remain open
• Elliott continues visit throughout Genesee County: more than 2K customers with power outages
• County Highway crews heading to Route 77 in Alabama to try and rescue stranded drivers in whiteout conditions
• Motorists rescued, fed, kept warm during travel on Friday
• A community of emergency response assists those in need during storm

Throughout the day, a persistent, large band of lake-effect snow stretching from Lake Erie to Alabama and Oakfield has hovered in place. As the satellite photo above shows, it's been pretty stationary and so far shows no signs of abating. The band is 15 miles wide.

The National Weather Service predicts that blizzard conditions will continue throughout the Niagara Frontier overnight. 

Dispatchers continue to report multiple motorists stranded in the northwest quadrant in the county with some occupants reporting hypothermia.  There have been several motorists rescued already, most taken to various warming shelters, a couple to UMMC for treatment.  

There are about 2,000 National Grid customers without power, and for most, no ETA on power restoration. 

There is a travel ban in effect for Genesee County and for the Thruway.

This post will be continuously updated, except for a break for sleep, until either the storm ends or we start a new post. While it is being actively updated, it will be anchored at the top of the home page.

UPDATE 12:37 a.m.: There is a convoy of emergency responders on Route 77 heading toward Route 33 retrieving people, and then they will proceed on Route 33.

UPDATE 12:41 a.m.: An emergency responder reports being stuck on Route 63, and another responder advises they can't get to him and advises they go to the Alabama Station #1.  "We're stuck well before that."

UPDATE 1:09 a.m.: An MRAP from Orleans County is now assisting with rescues.

UPDATE 1:50 a.m.: Tim Hens says that it's slow going trying to clear roads.  Judge Road is impassible, also Lewiston Road. The crews are trying Townline Road now.  The whiteout conditions are making the work impossible.

UPDATE 2:35 a.m.: Taking a break, or trying, to get some sleep.

UPDATE 9:04 a.m.: A convoy of rescue teams just completed going through Route 77 at Judge and is heading north.  There is also a rescue convoy operating around Sumner Road in Darien.

UPDATE 9:07 a.m.: The "Dollar" in Family Dollar in Eastown Plaza blew off overnight. (Reader submitted photo). Submit photos to howard@thebatavian.com or (585) 260-6970.

Also, Bethany's UTV is en route to Alabama to assist with rescue efforts.

UPDATE 9:12 a.m.: A rescue convoy has reached a group of cars in Alabama and are checking for occupants. A dispatcher asks for car descriptions "so we can clear some of these calls" and is told, "Some of the cars are buried in four or five feet or snow. We'll do our best.  Most people are telling us are in the Alabama Hotel, patrons are telling us."

UPDATE 9:19 a.m.: A fire police commander in Oakfield reports he's about two minutes from the Hall, and another chief is "taking over command and relieving me."

UPDATE 9:20 a.m.: A crew commander reports that there are about 100 people at the Alabama Hotel, and they all report they're doing well.  The convoy will try to head east and make it back to the Oakfield Fire Hall.

UPDATE 9:26 a.m.: A crew is heading east on Lewiston. The State Police from Orleans County is coming to the area with tracked vehicles. They will check north and west. There is also a crew heading to Macomber and Knowesville.

UPDATE 9:30 a.m.: East Pembroke chief says he has enough four-wheel vehicles to send to Alabama but doesn't have the manpower available to operate them. He's checking to see if there is enough manpower to deploy them.  The Indian Falls chief reports that the State Police have four tracked ATVs at his hall, ready to be deployed.

UPDATE 9:34 a.m.: For more reader-submitted photos, click here.

UPDATE 9:37 a.m.: A Darien crew is heading to Alabama to assist.

UPDATE 10:40 a.m.: All of the people are out of their vehicles from the Niagara County line to Alabama Center, a responder reports.  There's also a semi-trailer blocking Route 5.  A firefighter is checking an unknown odor at a residence on Lewiston Road.

UPDATE 10:51 a.m.: The travel ban for Genesee County will be partially lifted at noon.  Click here for more information.

UPDATE 11:07 a.m.: A crew is heading out toward Townline Road after leaving the fire hall. That crew is going out of service for while once it reaches its hall.

See also: Genesee Snopackers assisting with search and rescue efforts during storm

UPDATE 11:12 a.m.: "We're trying to stop cars at Route 77 and Ledge north because they keep trying to get through, and there is no place to put them."

UPDATE 11:16 a.m.: That odor at a residence on Lewiston Road; they had an issue with their furnace. The furnace has been shutdown. "They are good with electric heat."

UPDATE 11:25 a.m.: Multiple times last night and tonight, fire chiefs have been informed that Mercy EMS ambulances were not available. A dispatcher just informed a chief in Indian Falls that Mercy is not responding to calls outside of Batavia. Darien's ambulance is fully staffed and standing by for calls.

UPDATE 11:27 a.m.: Byron's ambulance is dispatched to Le Roy for a medical call.

UPDATE 11:38 a.m.: An Elba chief reports Route 98 at Townline and Edgerton is closed and impassible with five vehicles "stretched across the roadway."  Also, a crew is going to be sent to Indian Falls to stop traffic from coming north.

UPDATE 11:43 a.m.: There are no operators with the vehicles on Route 98.  A rep from Torrey Farms believes the operators are at the school.

UPDATE 12:53 p.m.: The last vehicle on Judge Road has been unstuck, and the driver is being sent to Indian Falls.  Resources are getting redeployed to Batavia. Route 77 north of Route 5 "is turning into a parking lot in some ways."

UPDATE 1:04 p.m.: See also, County leaders counting blessings in midst of 'wicked storm'

UPDATE 1:12 p.m.: State of Emergency declared for the City of Batavia.

UPDATE 1:20 p.m.: Alabama Fire paged for a replacement crew to respond to Station #1.

UPDATE 1:31 p.m.: See also, Weather-related closures and cancellations

UPDATE 1:42 p.m.: A crew is heading to the TA to pick up gas for a man currently at the Indian Falls Fire Hall.

UPDATE 2:48 p.m.:  Supplies are being taken to Indian Falls for Alabama and Pembroke. 

UPDATE 3:19 p.m.: Bethany Center Road is now open.

UPDATE 5:02 p.m.: National Grid reports 757 customers without power, down from more than 1,700 earlier today.

UPDATE 5:28 p.m.: Alabama Fire had a call but couldn't get to it because "Route 63 is unpassable for us."  So Oakfield is trying to try and respond from their side of 63.

UPDATE 5:30 p.m.: Akron Road is also unpassable.

UPDATE 5:41 p.m.: See also, Winter Storm Elliott: update from Hochul

UPDATE 6:15 p.m.: Le Roy's UTV assignment to Oakfield is back in service.

UPDATE 6:24 p.m.: A crew has picked up "plenty of supplies" at City Fire and is heading back to that affected zone.  "Good. We'll have another mission when you get here," the assistant chief is told.

UPDATE 6:58 p.m.: Fire commanders are trying to keep as few emergency vehicles on the road as possible for call responses.  Route 77 is unpassiable. Mercy EMS has started responding to calls outside of Batavia but staging outside the snow-impacted area while firefighters respond to incidents.

UPDATE 7:19 p.m.: An emergency responder reports, "conditions are deteriorating out here again."

UPDATE 7:27 p.m.: An Alabama crew is on a medical call on Route 77 and needs assistance getting the patient out of the house.  It's been difficult to get additional help there.  An MRAP is responding to assist.

UPDATE 7:30 p.m.: Dispatchers are receiving calls that Route 77 at Route 5 is impassable because of all the tractor-trailers along the roadway. A Mercy medic in the area reports, there is one lane available for thru traffic, "but I wouldn't recommend it for future calls."

UPDATE 7:59 p.m.: A volunteer in Alabama has received a call from a Newstead firefighter stating that Erie County received a call from a woman with a child that has been trapped in a car at Tesnow and Wright roads since yesterday afternoon. Forest rangers in the area are going to offload their snowmobiles and head to that location, and bring the occupants back to the Indian Falls Fire Hall.

UPDATE 8:56 p.m.: There is a truck stuck on Clinton Street Road with two adults and a child.

UPDATE 10:04 p.m.  I'm not saying this is the last update to this post but it may very well be.  We're unsticking it from the top of the home page.  We will continue to provide coverage as news developes.

Friday was one of those days for emergency responders when it seemed as though rescues and accidents made for a nonstop blur of duty.

Oakfield firefighter Bill Sturgeon’s day began around 11 a.m., and he was still on duty late into the night. And in between, there was a family from Lockport that went off the road, a Connecticut couple stuck in another spot and a boyfriend-girlfriend duo attempting a drive back to her home in Toronto.

Yet many others were out and about for unknown or frivolous reasons — one pair was going to the Rez — which perplexed the veteran firefighter.

“I thought, ‘where’s everybody going?’ The chief and third assistant pulled up to one car and asked them ‘where are you going?’ They said Canada and the chief said no, you’re not,” Sturgeon said. “We’re calling around trying to find hotel rooms. The Holiday Inn Express said they were all full, and (Chief) Sean Downing called them. They said they had two more rooms that had been shut down and needed to be cleaned. They literally opened rooms because the fire department asked them.”

Throughout the extreme weather event — an understatement, maybe — Sturgeon was awed by the cooperation of that hotel staff; Dollar General, which remained open while the stranded visitors could buy up supplies, snacks and even dog food; and the (GOOSE) Community Center’s willingness to open its doors to temporarily house people.

Plus, no doubt, the ample numbers of rescue workers from city, village, town and county law enforcement, emergency management, rescue and public works departments.

“We’re doing our best to get out there. There was a welfare check on an elderly couple; everything was fine. You have to pick and choose who you can help, and also be safe,” he said. “We’re going to take it and adjust as we see fit, and the weather sees fit. I imagine the ambulance will be here all night.”

He came upon Michael Santaferrara, who was driving from New York City to Lewiston, at the intersection of Lewiston Road and Main Street. The lost driver had been rerouted a few times and asked where he could settle in for a while. Firefighters directed the lost driver to the fire hall; however, accidents and road detours made for a more difficult journey than Santaferrara expected, he said. (See related story.)

Oakfield crews brought food into the fire hall, cooked up grilled cheese sandwiches, and served other items, including towels and blankets, to people as they ended up stranded in their travels.

A Genesee County travel ban was issued by early afternoon after multiple accidents and vehicles sliding off the road wreaked havoc with emergency response. At least one ambulance and a rescue truck got stuck as well, Sturgeon said.

Amidst all of the commotion, one brilliant occurrence was evident, he said.

“The amazement of all the firefighters here, and across the county, the Sheriff’s (personnel), everybody working together, in the interest of the public, to do what they can,” he said. “It’s huge. To see people pull together. It takes a community to come together for something like this. I saw that today.”

Michael Santaferrara got up early Friday morning to drive from Cazenovia to see his sisters in the western part of the state. He thought all was well while after driving about 140 miles on the Thruway.

“Then they closed it because of all the crashes,” the New York City visitor told The Batavian Friday night. “Once I left the Thruway, my whole world changed. Within seconds, I felt like I was in the Arctic. It was a complete whiteout. I was driving five miles an hour looking for what I was hoping was a road.”

By the volume of 911 calls and observations of emergency responders out there, Santaferrara was not alone.

He was, though, perhaps one of the luckier ones. After pulling off the Thruway and onto rural side roads — he described as “just like going from one white canvas to the next” — he arrived at the intersection near Pembroke Central School. Oakfield firefighters were on scene directing and assisting traffic.

Santaferrara was asked where he was headed to, and he replied, “Lewiston,” which prompted a tepid response to attempt it at his own risk. There had been many accidents and vehicles off the road by that point, and emergency responders weren’t encouraging anyone to be driving if possible.

He asked where he could go to just get off the road for a while, and they directed him to the Oakfield fire hall. That wasn’t as easy as it sounded. En route, Santaferrara encountered a few different detours caused by accidents, and coupled with whiteout conditions, he was just hoping to find his destination.

“I just looked down the road and saw all white. It was a pure whiteout,” he said, after driving a bit farther down the road and pulling into a driveway. “I was tempted to knock on the door. I went back to the intersection, and they were all gone.”

He put Oakfield Fire Station into his phone and finally arrived to safety. Well, sort of. He was in the general area but could not even see the building. He tried opening and knocking on doors along parts of the facility before finding the right entryway. And there they were, others who were rescued and a group of firefighters taking care of them.

“They had already saved a family with a baby and a dog,” Santaferrara said. “They fed us all and gave us towels to dry ourselves, and we just hung out there, kept warm, and then they drove us to a hotel they recommended.”

There was also a couple traveling from Connecticut and yet another pair trying to drive to Canada. Although he had grown up in Syracuse, Santaferrara has lived in NYC for nearly four decades, he said.

“This is winter amplified,” he said, adding that his sisters offered to come and get him. "I said, ‘no way I am letting you come to get me.’ I was in it; I could see what I was going through. The 100 percent opacity … It’s the worst I’ve ever experienced in my life.”

Despite the dicey trip, Santaferrara was thankful for towels to dry off his snow-covered face, body and hands; for the comforting nourishment of grilled cheese sandwiches and beverages; and for the genuine kindness from the firefighters themselves.

“They were really hospitable, warm, and really welcoming,” he said. “I literally thought I would be stranded in it … in the middle of nowhere. I never had my fingers and face freeze that fast.”

Oakfield Fire Hall served as a warming station for the storm, firefighter Bill Sturgeon said. He agreed that it's been one of the worst storms ever -- and that's during his 32-year career as a firefighter. He transported folks to a hotel in Batavia when needed.

"It has to be among the top one to two storms I've ever been through ... visibility-wise. There had to be 15 to 20 cars off the road between Fisher Road and the village line. I felt bad, but I couldn't stop," Sturgeon said later Friday night. "We have more people that were brought into the fire hall. The captain was driving home and saw a couple and picked them up; one had asthma. But an ambulance crew was here to help." 

(See a personal account about driving in the storm.)

There were several helpers, including those from unexpected places. When Santaferrara walked into the fire hall, there was a goosebump moment: the contact page of his late mom and dad popped up on his phone.

“That made you feel like they were looking after you,” he said.

His luck continued when he got the last available room at a city hotel, he said. With his trail mix snack running low, he was ready to stay put nonetheless until it was deemed safe to travel. His vehicle remains at the fire hall, and firefighters have offered to pick him up and bring him back to the station when that moment comes.

“I feel incredibly grateful,” he said.

Top Photo: Members of Oakfield Fire Rescue during a brief lull from rescuing motorists stranded in the wintry conditions Friday in Genesee County; the truck ready for action, above. Photos submitted by Michael Santaferrara, who was taken to a Batavia hotel after getting stuck in white-outs while enroute to Lewiston.

With a high degree of concern for people trapped in their cars in the area of Route 77 and Judge Road, County Highway Superintendent Tim Hens, along with three county highway personnel driving three heavy loaders/plow trucks, are leaving Batavia in an attempt to rescue them.

No other emergency personnel in fire trucks, rescue trucks, or patrol cars have been able to reach them.

"I've got three highway guys putting their lives at risk, my life at risk, to try and save them, but I would feel bad if we didn't try," Hens said.

Hens was just leaving the City of Batavia, driving behind the highway trucks and said visibility was already down to nearly zero. He passed a semi-truck stuck in the snow in front of Tops.  There was about a foot of snow in that location.

Deputies have reported drifts of snow as high as five feet surrounding the cars that are stuck in Alabama.

"We have a pretty high level of concern," Hens said. "Some people have been out there nine, 10 hours. I know there are people who are hypothermic at this point.  I'm not sure we will be able to reach them.  It's just such bad visibility. I'm not even sure we will be able to get there, to be honest."

There has been a heavy, large lake-effect snow band stretching from Lake Erie into Alabama and Oakfield all day.  The National Weather Service reports it is likely to be in place until at least midnight.

"It might be there until midnight tomorrow," Hens said. "This storm is going to revival '77 in its intensity.  It's maybe not as wide or as broad but for people under the snow band, it will be."

Photo: File photo of Tim Hens from 2018 at Genesee County Legislature meeting.

UPDATE: here's a four-second video from Tim Hens showing conditions on the road to Alabama.

Park Road by Alex's. Photo by Nick Volpe.

To submit your weather photos, email them to howard@thebatavian.com or text them to (585) 2160-6970

Lewiston Road. Photo by Nick Volpe.

Veterans Memorial Drive. Photo by Nick Volpe.

A residence on Townline Road. Alabama.  Photo by Dave Bencic.

Whiteout conditions on Batavia Oakfield Townline Road. PHoto by Dan Carmichael.

Photo by Dan Carmichael.

State Street, Batavia. By David Austin

If you've dared to go outside for even a few minutes, it's quite apparent that the biting wind and snow have remained relentless this evening. According to the National Grid outage map, the number of outages is going up by the minute, as it was 1,879 Genesee County customers affected at 6:38 p.m., and that ticked up to 2,033 by 6:40 p.m. 

National Grid is "assessing the situation," according to the outage site. That means there is no estimated time of power restoration yet. To check on outages in your area, and estimated timelines of repair, go HERE.

The Natonal Weather Service reported a temperature of just 2-degrees shortly before 6 p.m., with winds up to 40 mph.

Photo: Streetlights glow through the haze of wintry elements and a dark gray sky Friday evening on a Batavia city street. 

Photo by Joanne Beck.

 

Even though city and county offices closed Friday, all essential offices, including City of Batavia police, fire, public works, management and non-union personnel, will continue to operate through the duration of the storm, City Manager Rachael Tabelski says.

Tabelski and Genesee County Manager Matt Landers made a decision Thursday to close their respective offices and buildings Friday; however, staff has been in place, including the Sheriff’s Office road patrol, dispatch center, the jail and highway department snowplow crews, Landers said.

This is the first for the county in several years to close down ahead of time due to anticipated weather.

“After multiple discussions with County Emergency Management, the County Sheriff’s Office, the County Highway Department, various other County departments, along with the City of Batavia Manager, it was clear that for the safety of the County workforce, we should close County offices on the 23,” Landers said.  “We originally discussed closing early, but after discussions with the National Weather Service out of Buffalo, it was looking like the serious weather would be coming into Genesee County in the morning, and I didn’t want to subject the workforce to driving home in treacherous conditions.”

Having county offices closed on Friday would also free up some manpower that previously would have had to clear county-staffed parking lots, he said.

On the city side, after reviewing the predictions of flash freezing and gale force winds, combined with lake effect snow, "County Manager Matt Landers and I jointly decided to close City and County offices,” Tabelski said. 

“The less traffic on the roads and City streets tomorrow, the easier clean-up efforts will be,” she said Thursday night.

Management has continued to monitor county Emergency Management Director Tim Yaeger’s weather and storm reports.

“We are also in touch with National Grid to support their storm response,” Tabelski said. “National Grid is predicting multiple, and potentially long duration, outages within their territory.  They have over 1,000 line men/women and guards that will be dispatched throughout the region as needed for power outages and down wires."

As of 5 p.m. Friday, 1,700 Genesee County customers remained without power.

Tabelski reminds folks to “Never touch a down wire, and call 911 immediately!” 

City staff is monitoring Doppler radar and reports from the state DOT, Thruway Authority, NYS State Police, and Department of Homeland Security, “who are all involved with storm preparedness and storm response,” she said.

“We advise all residents and visitors to the City of Batavia to be cautious and careful as driving conditions change over the next 24 hours,” she said regarding Friday and Friday night.  “We hope that everyone has a very Happy Holiday and Merry Christmas!”

The storm has been estimated to run its course through 7 a.m. Sunday, according to the National Weather Service. Citizens have been urged to remain at home and off the streets per a Genesee County Sheriff's Office travel ban and a State of Emergency declared by Gov. Kathy Hochul.

Throughout the day Friday, there have been multiple automobile accidents, along with some downed trees and utility wires. For more details about the day's events, go HERE.

And don't forget those beloved four-leggeds. American Veterinary Medical Association advises pet owners to:

Know the limits: Just like people, pets' cold tolerance can vary from pet to pet based on their coat, body fat stores, activity level, and health. Be aware of your pet's tolerance for cold weather, and adjust accordingly. You will probably need to shorten your dog's walks in very cold weather to protect you both from weather-associated health risks.

Short-haired pets feel the cold faster because they have less protection, and short-legged pets may become cold faster because their bellies and bodies are more likely to come into contact with snow-covered ground. Pets with diabetes, heart disease, kidney disease, or hormonal imbalances (such as Cushing's disease) may have a harder time regulating their body temperature and may be more susceptible to problems from temperature extremes. The same goes for very young and very old pets.

Provide choices: Just like you, pets prefer comfortable sleeping places and may change their location based on their need for more or less warmth. Give them some safe options to allow them to vary their sleeping place to adjust to their needs.

Stay inside. Cats and dogs should be kept inside during cold weather. It's a common belief that dogs and cats are more resistant than people to cold weather because of their fur, but it's untrue. Like people, cats and dogs are susceptible to frostbite and hypothermia and should be kept inside. Longer-haired and thick-coated dog breeds, such as huskies and other dogs bred for colder climates, are more tolerant of cold weather; but no pet should be left outside for long periods in below-freezing weather.

For more information about storm preparedness, the City of Batavia Fire Department has advice available HERE. 

File Photo of a previous winter storm in Batavia, by Howard Owens.

A two-car accident is reported on Route 77 in Darien.

Unknown injuries.

Darien Fire and Darien ambulance dispatched.

Press release:

The safety of our associates and customers remains our top priority.  Due to the continued extreme weather conditions, all Erie, Niagara, Orleans, Genesee, and Wyoming County Tops stores will remain closed until Monday.  We will reopen at 6 a.m. on Monday. 

A motor vehicle accident with injuries is reported at 1534 Lewiston Road, Alabama. 

One person has a head laceration. 

Alabama Fire is dispatched.

There are reportedly multiple vehicles off the road in the area.

UPDATE 3:10 p.m.: Alabama Fire has the patient at the Fire Hall awaiting Mercy EMS's arrival. 

Press release:

TRAVEL ALERT - ALL VEHICLE BAN IN EFFECT UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE: Due the high wind, winter storm, and blizzard warnings in Western New York, a BAN ON ALL VEHICLES is in effect on I-90 from exit 46 (Henrietta) to the PA line and I-190 from I-90 to exit 22 (Route 62) until further notice. See real-time traffic cameras at thruway.ny.gov/travelers.