‘Arbor-geddon’
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.
That's hard to watch, but nicely done. I'm glad to see you're safe and well, Newell.
Glad to see you up and running again. We missed ya laddie...
The tree loss will be horrific. The good news is that Buffalo's most elderly tree, the 300-year-old sycamore on Franklin, escaped serious damage.
Here's a great opportunity for foundations, companies large and small, sports teams, individual donors, neighborhood groups, growers, gardeners and garden suppliers, and nonprofits to come together and organize a Buffalo Tree Foundation so that donations of money and tree expertise can help assess and reforest our city right away. Perhaps under the leadership of the Olmsted Conservancy?
You create it, I'll write the first check.
Can we get some more elms? I know the whole dutch elm disease problem when the city tried to move away from the monoculture that is once was but it doesn't seem like a lesson learned because almost every street is now lined with maples... Where are the new Sycamores that will weather and last 300 years? Where are the Elms to create cathedral streets, I have nothing personal against maples but from Riverside to Allentown that has to be 90% of the new growth planted in the last 30 years.
Sheesh, you people literally are Tree Huggers. Go away.
Simon Pure, you must know something about Buffalo history, hence your name. Why should we not be concerned with the tree loss? Really? We were once known as the City of Trees. Even City Hall is concerned about the loss. That means that City Hall is a bunch of tree huggers. Thank God for tree huggers!
Simon must be just trying to bait people. I can't imagine anyone not feeling some sense of loss over the incredible tree damage our area has suffered. I walked from N. Bflo down to the Elmwood Village on friday and saw first hand the extensive damage done before the chainsaws & clearing crews were out. Heartbreaking. As I walked everyone I encountered was lamenting the loss of trees on their streets & properties. Seems like we have a city full of tree huggers. That's ok with me...Glad to see most everyone got through (or is getting through) this ordeal ok. - tom
I just care a lot more about people than trees.
Tens of thousands of people have been without power, have lost property and suffered other damages.
Worry about the damn trees later. People need help now.
Why would anyone put a generator inside their house? How come on yesterdays news , Mayor Brown tourd the East Side and all you see are a bunch of people hanging out on their porch, walking over the debre and not one could of helped clean up the mess on their block , off their yard, get it out of the street? Of course, some in this city are so f(&*&^ lazy that they would rather have "Someone" else do it. Typical.
Looking at other areas that were harder hit, it's residences took more pride and cleared what they could out of the street and off thier yard, it's neighbors helped eachother out. I cannot say the same for the East Side. What a f(*&& shame.
I would love to hear from these people the typicall "Oh, it took so long for the city to clean up", "How come we were last?", blah, blah, blah.
And we wonder why this side of town looks like shit, it's the people who live there that don't care, don't clean up their yard, the street.....This storm is a perfect example of that. They expect others to clean up "Their" streets.
Glad to hear that everyone made it out safe. Also, It's great to have the site back up and running. Keep up the good work Newell!
Rick - It's not about putting trees ahead of people. The power in my house went out at 8pm on thursday & is still out. My property suffered damage. No one is losing sight of the impact this event had, and is still having, on people. It's just the the sight of such destruction is so impressive people can't help but comment & lament.
Again FEMA is useless...after Katrina and now in Buffalo..Go Higgins..Get FEMA in check.
Rick In Columbus is a worthless f@#$ing douchebag
Newell, your headline alone to this peice, "Arbor-geddon"-- should win a pulitzer (if there is one for headlines, if not, then a Cleo for creativity).
What could say more?
Rick In Columbus,
Ordinary people like us cannot amble around restoring people's power, no matter how much we all want to. That takes hardworking, skilled professionals who know how to do this without getting killed. For which we are all grateful.
But ordinary people like us can tend to wounded trees, plant trees, buy trees, donate money, donate expertise.
Geeze, don't you have something superior to tend to in your well-known capital of culture, cuisine, and architecture?
guys relax, Rick in Columbus was making a good point- the people should be our foremost concern.
Rick in Columbus- pavtogs put it well when he said that as we begin to clear up the mess, "the sight of such destruction is so impressive people can't help but comment & lament."
Also, there is the practical issue that the trees have caused most or all of the damage that has left us powerless.
Newell,
v excellent coinage - delirium induced no doubt - "Arbor-geddon"
All i have to say is that it is great to have our power back finnally over here on delevan and deleware. Good luck to all those who still havent gotten theirs back. Keep your heads up and help your friends, relatives and if theres any idiots on here with generators in your house, well then your simply a dumbass.
‘Arbor-geddon’ is an astute and better name for this storm than the surprise storm. The tree limbs falling caused the broken wires.
Bravo Newell!
Great coverage! The photos are terrific. I keep saying that it is nearly impossible to capture the devastation, but you did an amazing job!
Good neighbors, and amazingly ethical folks for the most part.
In most storm damaged scanarios we hear horror stories of looting, and pilaging. I personally have heard none of that.
Thank you Buffalonians for showing why we are a GREAT city!
hey buffalo..not going to say how much i miss you..but you (the town...my friends) i do wish i could be there getting through this with you. the tree loss is horrible...the cars it must have damaged too...but being in florida with the hurricanes and all....i do feel for you.
not going to say how much i miss you up there...means miss you alot...sorry for all your losses my friends
Thanks for the article about the fire at Dog Days, Newell. Your Arborgeddon article mentions that our one lost dog was found roaming the streets with leash in tow, but in fact Tess was only roaming for a few minutes before she was picked up by a kind driver down the street from the fire, and stayed comfortably at this person's house until she was reunited with the owners less than 2 days later, on Saturday, unharmed and according to her owners, no worse for wear. There seems to have been a lot of speculation in the media that many of our dogs escaped during the fire, but in fact Tess was the only one (which of course we regret!) who ran through the front doors which had been propped open by the firefighters. We have always had a resident caretaker on the premises, who evacuated the remaining 18 dogs safely into our fenced daycare yard while firefighters did their job with the building. There was not one injury or life lost, canine or human, and for that we feel very lucky. Thanks to all of our well-wishers for your support. We intend to rebuild in the same spot and be better than ever!