Gov. Kathy Hochul said Saturday that New York has experienced the most amount of snowfall in a 24-hour period in the history of the state.
Due to the storm, New York is submitting an emergency declaration request to the federal government to get FEMA support.
We now also know what building collapsed in Hamburg. Braymillers Bowling, which has existed since 1942, experienced a partial roof collapse in the storm. The front facade is in good condition, but the rear end of the building has fully collapsed due to the weight of the snow.
"It is not going to be able to be repaired or redeemed because the bowling alley has literally been collapsed upon because of the weight of snow on the roof," Hochul said.
In terms of motorists, Hochul and Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz said the number of stranded motorists was much less than in previous storms. It appears many people listened to the warning.
Eighty-eight vehicle crashes have been reported so far, and 280 people have been rescued. In 2014 there were thousands of stranded motorists, according to Hochul.
Here's what else you need to know:
- Hochul has deployed the National Guard but will double the number from 70 to 150 on Saturday.
- The New York State Thruway is reopening to commercial traffic but not all exits are open. The Skyway will reopen.
- Over 390 tickets have been written by state police alone for drivers violating the ban. Hochul said many of these drivers were operating commercial vehicles.
- The Buffalo Bills are en route to the airport with a takeoff time of 4 p.m.
- On Friday, 70 tractor-trailers and 10 passenger vehicles were violating the driving ban on Eden Evans Center Rd jammed up entrances to the Thruway. Some people had to be rescued and taken to warming stations.
- The 49 mobile home parks in the disaster area are being checked on and residents warned in case of structural issues.
- DOT plow crews have traveled here from as far away as Long Island to help.
