As soon as the proverbial snow hit the fan last week, Erie County Chief Executive Officer Mark Poloncarz put out the call for surrounding counties for help.

Wayne County Public Works Superintendent Kevin Rooney asked County Administrator Rick House and County Chairman Phil Eygnor for permission to send Wayne County Highway staff (8 people), 3 dump trucks and one loader to Buffalo to assist with snow removal.  Both men heartily agreed.

According to Rooney, staff are working 12 hour shifts. They are tasked to load and haul snow from city streets around hundreds of snowed-in vehicles.

Many other municipal Highway departments from around the state and New Jersey are also assisting. 

On Facebook social media, one Buffalonian, Susan Gambino wrote:

Huge thank you to the Wayne County Highway Department for their bulldozers meticulously and professionally clearing our street curb-to-curb. Just made them some fresh coffee!!

Over last week’s holiday weekend’s heavy storm, which quickly became known as the “blizzard of the century,” Erie County, New York, accumulating a reported 51.9 inches of snow as of Tuesday night. By Wednesday (12/29), the death toll due to the storm had risen to 39, with many found dead in buried vehicles. 

The State Department of Transportation found rooms for the crews during their off-time.