Emergency crews from New Jersey are on the ground in Buffalo, New York, assisting in the rescue effort after this weekend’s deadly storm that buried Erie County in up to 50 inches of snow, with more than 30 people reported dead. The fierce blizzard conditions blinded drivers, stranded people in their cars and trapped them in their homes.
According to a spokesperson for the New Jersey State Police, 22 members of the state’s Task Force One arrived in Buffalo Tuesday morning. The team is made up of first responders and engineers with experience in disaster recovery from as far back as 9/11. This is the team’s first out-of-state cold weather mission. Officials in Buffalo are still counting casualties in what’s being called western New York’s deadliest storm in at least two generations.
Military police Tuesday began enforcing driving bans in Buffalo to keep people off the snow-choked roads. Much of the rest of the country is reeling from the arctic blast, which killed at least two dozen others across 10 states. Thousands of flights have been canceled nationwide.
State officials tell NJ Spotlight News that New Jersey emergency crews are expected to stay with the recovery in Buffalo for up to two weeks, with other members at the ready if they’re needed.
