The fact that BRO was down during a very bizarre weather week was both frustrating and freakish. Frustrating because I continued to bump into people who wanted me to disseminate information for them online, and freakish because of the unusual circumstances that surrounded what, from this point on, we will call ‘The Perfect Storm’. The stars were so unaligned for the site that what should have been a technical glitch turned into an extended vacation for all those involved. Shortly after the original problems were discovered, the snow storm hit and it was then that we realized that we were in trouble. With 70,000 people in the city left without power, and 330,000 people in the region in the same boat, BRO was caught in a circumstantial nightmare. Technical diffuculties compounded by the rogue storm that slammed our city left us powerless to broadcast until today.
With that said, I kept in close editorial contact with BRO writers while the site was down and asked that everyone be prepared to formulate their thoughts if they so desired. Every writer that I spoke with during that down-time responded that if they were to write, the words would be about about the community coming together and tackling the problems that presented themselves in different ways to different people.
I, for one, learned a lot about Buffalo over the last few days. For example, it was fascinating to find out how many people in the city actually own chainsaws. Emails circulated all weekend long with offers of help… and many people, like my neighbor Percy (photo), spent hours roaming the neighborhood (gas chainsaw in hand) offering to de-limb troublesome branches that had spilled out on the street. The storm hit hard Thursday evening, but it was the aftermath -Friday the 13th - that the day lived up to its notorious name. By the time the morning of the 13th rolled around most people were already somewhat mobile (even if by foot), though I'm sure that the national media is still reporting that our city is virtually shut down. An early morning walk around my block proved very interesting. Tree branches lay strewn about… limbs blocked roadways… and leaves sprouted from every place imaginable. Had our site not been down for four days this would have been up a lot sooner. The story of 'Arbor-geddon' is one that I personally need to note before moving on to the rest of the day's posts.
So what were Buffalonians up to during the early morning ‘Arbor-geddon’? Nobody had yet started to clear debris, that was clear. The people that I ran into had other things on their minds. Just about everyone wielded digital cameras in one hand, and carried supplies in the other. The supplies that were most prevalent seemed to be... you guessed it... beer. Jimmy Griffin would have been proud of all the people who decided how to prioritize their daily activities. A few of the other necessities that I spotted during the walk included, board games, coffee, smokes, and snacks. Apparently Friday was to be a day of rest and relaxation for many. It proved to be an unexpected day off for thousands of people who ultimately came together to be with friends and family... before the mass clean-up started.
Though Friday was also a day to evaluate (in-between beers) the tree damage that ravaged Western New York, it was Saturday when Buffalonians kicked it into high gear. On that day the sound of chainsaws echoed throughout the city while National Grid trucks from around the state began to arrive on the scene. Those with power helped those without, while businesses and stores with power opened their doors in order to supply the city with goods and services needed to get things back in order. One thing that the rest of the country will never understand about Buffalo is our ability to get back in working order quicker than anyone can imagine. Any other city would have been paralyzed indefinitely… Buffalo rebounds at an uncanny pace. Yesterday the skies were blue, the coffee shops were filled with people meeting up for business, and the power companies and tree-services were working around the clock to get everyone back on track as quickly as possible.
The stories that have surrounded the week of chaos have been incredible. I’ve talked to families that opened their doors to neighbors, missing dogs that found their owners through the help of strangers, employees who forewent tackling their own problems to supply others in need of assistance… the stories are endless. As I drove down the parways yesterday (top) I was floored to see the damage to the Olmsted Parkways. I heard that Delaware Park was in pretty sad shape too.
I also heard that community activists like Stephanie Berghash (photo) were rallying the troops in and along these parkways. At 5:30 last evening neighbors met to continue to clear away fallen branches that littered the area so that the trucks would have an easier time getting the mess removed. Signs of the storm will be everpresent for years to come.
Yesterday there were still streetlights and stoplights out of commission, and a few cars could be seen driving around with dents, dings and cracks (some a bit worse off than others), etc. My neighbor’s dog escaped from a pet boarding business and was only just recently found roaming the city with leash in tow. Stories like this are both scary and inspiring. I know that there are hundreds of people who are still waiting for their lives to return to normal. In all my years of living in Buffalo I have never witnessed anything like the 'Arbor-geddon' that struck our city... the experience was awesome and I will remember these days for the rest of my years. I'll remember the couple dancing in the street and and the VW car smushed at the Wee House on Ashland.
One of the saddest parts of the whole event was the damage to 50% of the trees in Buffalo. Maples that I spent my youth climbing are decimated. The City will have its hands full replacing our stock of trees for years to come. I’ve heard people asking if the downed trees might be replaced with flowering versions. It’ll be interesting to see what the future holds for The City of Trees. If I know Buffalonians there will be incredible effort from the public to help the city expedite the progress. As for Buffalo's weather? Despite the unusual storm I still maintain that we have four fantastic seasons and relatively few disasters. It'll take more than 'Arbor-geddon' to see me pack my bags.