Mark Wilcox and Kevin Kerins don’t need a weatherman to tell them about this storm.
All they have to do is look out their front window.
A combination of an estimated two feet of fresh snow and high winds has made Hamburg one of seven Erie County towns with driving bans. Erie County is also one of five Western New York counties that have been declared in a state of emergency by Gov. Kathy Hochul.
But to both Wilcox and Kerins, it is all about snow - and lots of it.
Wilcox, who lives in a South Park Avenue apartment complex, offered his insight.
“If I’m lucky I can see the other side of the street, which is maybe 150 yards, best case scenario,” Wilcox said. “This is definitely the most violent (conditions) I’ve been in, I was out helping a guy shovel and get his car unstuck and it took about 15 minutes, so this is definitely the most violent I’ve seen in my lifetime”
AAA of Western and Central New York has reported it received 900 calls for assistance Thursday morning, that’s about 75% more than a typical Thursday morning, said Elizabeth Carey, AAA director of public relations.
Meanwhile, Kerins who recently moved to Hamburg’s Lakeview hamlet, said this storm is a tough one and will offer a challenge for his new snowblower.
“Well with the wind and everything I give it a solid 6 out of 10, but you never know with how the winds are going over the lake, we’ll see what happens later,” Kerins said. “This is very manageable at this time; I would estimate probably 5 feet of snow at the end of my driveway which is probably the biggest bearer”
The storm is expected to pound mostly southern Erie County through early Friday, officials said.
Hamburg Supervisor Randy Hoak said he will be meeting Thursday afternoon with Hamburg police, highway, and public works commissioners to elevate their next steps in snow removal.
It's reported that snow is falling in some areas at a rate of 3-plus inches per hour.
The hardest hit areas include the Scranton hamlet as well as other southern portions of Hamburg.
Hoak said he is asking Erie County and less-hit suburban towns like Amherst for equipment and manpower help.