CHEEKTOWAGA, N.Y. - Officials estimate that 75 inches of snow fell in Cheektowaga, and it's done a lot of damage.
The damage is clear as one awning in front of a home has come down.
The roads also remain impassable.
Thankfully,
there are volunteer firefighters who have responded to help those in
need. One 86 year old was in her home when her furnace stopped working.
Volunteer firefighters came to the rescue as quickly as possible. In
fact, there were about half a dozen of them helping get the elderly
woman out, which seems to be all in a day's work.
"We've been
walking them out, carrying them out in stokes baskets. Doing what we can
to get them to safety," said Jeanette Metros with the Cheektowaga
Volunteer Fire Department.
One repair man says that his car couldn't handle all of the snow after he tried to help people himself.
"I
had four people trying to push me out and then the belt broke on the
car, so I wasn't able to go anywhere," says Nicholas Tabbi with Capital
Heat.
Another man, whose name just so happens to be "snowman" in
German, was in the area to hunt deer, but with all the snow, he decided
to help others.
"My last name is Schliemann and if you would translate it into English language the real translation is snowman," he said.
Schliemann started clearing off people's roofs, and he's done at least five so far and he won't accept any money for his work.
"Here live elder people, mostly elder people and I'm, I have the skills to do it. That's all," he said.
While
storm clouds are on the horizon, they are headed further south. A lot
of the seniors that live in a mobile home complex are staying at a local
senior center.
Many are in need of regular medical attention. Some are on dialysis or chemotherapy.
Officials at the center said they had 25 people stay the first night and double that number Wednesday night.
With more snow on the way, they expect the numbers to increase even more Thursday night.
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