A stretch of Cazenovia Creek in south Buffalo is attracting a great deal of attention Monday. WBFO'S Eileen Buckley says a large portion of the creek is filled with chunks of ice.
At the top of the Stevenson Street Bridge over the Cazenovia Creek Monday a group of shovelers from West Side Habitat crew in Buffalo were working to clear the sidewalk on the bridge for pedestrians.
They were dumping the snow into the creek -- which from a distance -- almost resembles a pile of rocks -- with dirty snow chunks of the Lake Effect snow filling the creek bed.
But a longtime resident, who identified himself only as Bob, lives on Melrose, just a few houses a way from the creek bank. He said he is not worried about flooding.
"I've been on this bridge when the ice let go as big as houses," said this is nothing these are all small chunks. It will melt," said Bob. "Whenever this ice backs up it will back up into the ice bowl in Cazenovia Park."
The resident said he expects the worst of the flooding to occur further up at Cazenovia Park.
But Mike Klesic of Cheektowaga, who lived near the creek for many years, stopped by Monday to check out the situation. He is a little worried that if the ice doesn't break up at the Stevenson Street Bridge waters could rise to the top of the bridge span.
"It's flowing down there, so if this doesn't break up this is just going to just keep coming up to the top," said Klesic.
Two Buffalo Police cruisers are station outside and inside the Cazenvoia Park t the creek keeping a very close watch on rising waters. Much of the Caz creek ice was from the mounds of snow dumped from removal.
The nearby storm sewers near the creek bed were following from the melting snow, but a few of them had debris and leaves ,which could begin to clog the 7-foot high snow melt.