High Winds Cause Damage, Power Outages in Buffalo Area

BUFFALO, N.Y. — Winter weather hit Western New York on Wednesday night, toppling trees and causing power outages across the area. A tree fell onto a home on Normal Avenue in Buffalo, temporarily trapping a family inside.

The family eventually escaped through their back door after the tree struck. “We were stuck inside for a moment,” a family member said. Fortunately, they were unharmed.

According to the National Weather Service, strong winds gusting up to 50 mph contributed to the damage, uprooting trees and bringing down power lines on Norfolk and Saint Louis avenues.

The weather is expected to worsen, with temperatures dropping significantly into Thursday night, leading to lake-effect snow. A Lake Effect Snow Warning was issued for Southern Erie, Wyoming, Cattaraugus, and Chautauqua counties from 1 a.m. Thursday until 1 a.m. Saturday.

Additionally, a Winter Weather Advisory is in effect for Niagara and Orleans counties from 7 p.m. Wednesday until 7 a.m. Thursday, while northern Erie and Genesee counties will see similar advisories from 9 p.m. Wednesday until 1 p.m. Thursday.

In response to the storm, the City of Buffalo closed Tifft Street Pier, Bird Island Pier, and Erie Basin Marina due to the high winds.

As power outages persisted on Thanksgiving Day, National Grid reported having over 2,300 workers in the field to restore service. By 11 a.m. Thursday, they had restored power to 45,000 of the 49,300 affected customers.

The hardest-hit areas include Erie County, the City of Buffalo, Amherst, and Cheektowaga, with outages reported in Niagara, Orleans, Cattaraugus, and Allegany counties.

“This storm caused damage to our electric system. Our crews are working hard to restore power quickly and safely as winds continue throughout the day,” said Kyle Bentley, National Grid’s New York Vice President of Transmission and Electric Distribution.

National Grid is advising customers to be alert for safety hazards, including downed trees and power lines, treating all downed wires as live and dangerous. Any issues should be reported to National Grid at 1-800-867-5222 or 911.