Mom w/o power in Buffalo -- need ideas.

[July]

My mother's stuck in a very cold house with many large tree limbs blocking her driveway. I've told her to pack a bag in case the cops or someone else can evacuate her at some point. Local news (I'm watching online) is saying that the power outages could last for several days, so she really can't stay home if that's the case, and my sister is similarly trapped (another tree limb) on the other side of Buffalo, brother is ill and can't help.

If my aunt, who lives in a nearby town, has heat, she can take my mother in, but the problem is getting there. Anyone know what authority would help? Cops? Township? State troopers?

I'm taking suggestions. Thanks.

[lizziegrace]

1. Call the police department's non-emergency number

Ask to speak to the desk officer. That's where I'd start.

Keep us posted. :hug:

[lizziegrace]

2. Is your mom

a member of a church, social organization or any other group? Perhaps someone from the group could come take her out to someplace warm.

Buffalo Emergency Management Office might also be a place to call.

[johnnie]

3. Someone in city hall there should be able to help

Is your mom a senior citizen? I would call either the police dept. or city hall there and see what they can do. I am pretty sure they will find a way to get your mother out of that house.

[divineorder]

4. Monitor the Radio

It may be possible that there are some "heat centers". If so, let the police or some other emergency person know that your mother needs to get to one ASAP. Also, does she have gas? If it's working, she may be able to heat up an occasional cup of coffee and fix something in the oven. Warm food will help keep her warm. I assume she already knows about layers of clothing and such.
Check you aunt out, ask her about the power situation where she is...I assume she has a cell.

Put heavy blankets and such over the windows to block out some of the cold, and roll up excess clothing and put in in windowsills (indoors) to block some of the cold air coming in.

[Crazy Dave]

5. Does she have any gas appliances?

If she had a gas stove that would be great for heat in a small area but to be used with caution obviously.

[hedgehog]

6. Which part of town is she stuck in?

My parents are in Amherst watching trees and wires coming down. My daughter is living with them while she finishes grad school (Thank God) and she says tthe transformers were blowing all night and turning the sky green. It's still snowing there now (8AM) but it's supposed to be 50 deg late today. My main concern is heat for my mother and the fact that the sump pump will have no power once all that snow starts melting.

[July]

8. Mom's in Hamburg, but my sister is up near your parents.

Sister's in Tonawanda, and she says there's still lightning right now, and that there are numerous trees down on her street. Big branch in the driveway, no power. Sis said that Amherst lost power earlier than she did, that Amherst had none by 11 p.m. last night. My mother's neighbors heard on the radio that Amherst is going to be four days w/o power. I hope that's not true, for your family's sake. Hope they are okay and keeping warm.

[driver8]

13. One of my best friends from college lives in Amherst.

Small world...

My parents live in Northern NY and went through that awful ice storm a few years ago. They were without power for days; luckily they had the fireplace to keep them warm.

[July]

7. Update, and thank you.

First, thanks to everyone who's offered suggestions and concern.

I've talked to my mother and sister, as well as the local police.

Brother is going to daughter-in-law's in Dunkirk (she has power, he needs it for bi-pap machine). Wants my mother to go with him, but she doesn't want to do that. My aunt is without power, so her house is out. Fortunately, the police say that my mother can call their dispatch to ask to be picked up and taken somewhere w/power, such as a fire hall or senior center (I guess they are checking what's available). Police also said that 105 miles of the Thruway are closed, from east of Rochester to Dunkirk (south of Buffalo), and 300,000 people are without power.

For the time being, my mother wants to stay put. She has next-door neighbors she's talked with, and I have their number. Neighbor says that a street behind theirs has power, so mom's hoping they'll get it back soon. She doesn't have wood for the fireplace, and her stove is electric. She's trying not to open the fridge. She has enough food for a while, though without cooking it's going to be rolls, peanut butter, or cold canned stuff. She's ready to thaw hot dogs and eat them raw if necessary (she's one of those hardy Depression babies, so it doesn't sound too bad to her).

I've asked her to collect what she'll need for tonight, since she may not have light (e.g., flashlights, batteries, blankets, etc.), and to prepare a bag in case she has to leave. Since she's determined to protect her home (yes, my 5'2", 75-yr.-old mother thinks that if a tree branch breaks a window, she'll have to protect her belongings from marauders roaming on foot in the quiet burb she lives in).

The neighbors are good people, so I'm asking mom to go there first if things get strange, and I'm going to call them, too.

Sister and her husband are completely stuck inside their house, still have lightning and a blocked drive, and she says her whole street is full of downed trees.

Thanks, everyone, for your help. I thought I'd seen everything after growing up in Buffalo, but this sounds like the strangest weather Buffalo's ever had.

[faithnotgreed]

12. kick and best wishes to your mom

you are a wonderful "child" - thank you for such love and caring for your mom
hope everything works out ok for her and all the other thousands who may not have such wonderful support

[driver8]

14. Dunkirk!! I went to college in Fredonia.

Glad to hear that your mom is ok.

[gmoney]

16. Fredonia?

Was Groucho Marx the dean of your college?

[driver8]

17. That was Freedonia -- but check this out:

From IMDB--

Shortly before this film premiered, the city of Fredonia, New York, complained about the use of its name with an additional "e". The Marx Brothers' response was: "Change the name of your town, it's hurting our picture.

[grasswire]

15. better get mom some wood for emergencies...

...and some of those fire starters to make it easy to use the fireplace. This may not be the last freak storm.

[hedgehog]

9. There's hardly any snow in the Town of Boston, but the power's out.

I'm guessing things will improve in Hamburg fairly quickly if only a few lines are down. I'm wondering if some areas are without power not because lines went down there but because safeties tripped to cut them off the grid when all the transformers started blowing elsewhere.

If your Mom is on a main line and if the house line isn't down, she should get power back fairly quickly. I went through this a few years back when we had a big ice storm up in Oswego County. The best thing to do for the next 24 hours is to stay put and try to stay warm.

[hedgehog]

10. We're off to Buffalo.

The Thruway's open in the area, but closed from Henrietta to Williamsville. Things are starting to melt.

[cwydro]

11. I know it won't help now

but when I lived in the colder climes I always had a kerosene heater as backup. I don't know if those are still around, but they kept my butt toasty on many a cold winter's night. Good thing to have around.