1977 Buffalo NY winter storm

[Archae]

Anyone here live in Western New York State back in 1977?

On the History Channel right now they are looking at that storm. Yeesh.

[Phoebe Loosinhouse]

1. That is the storm that permanently traumatized Rhode Island

It was not predicted to be heavy and much of it came down at rush hour when everyone was on the road at the same time. There were thousands of people trapped in their cars and the police making rescues all night. No cell or mobile phones back then, so no one knew where their loved one was. People sheltered in place at their workplaces, slept in department stores, etc. If caught, most people just tried to make it to the closest place they knew someone - friend, family, co-worker, etc.

Because of that storm to this day, Rhode Islanders respond in sheer blind panic at even the barest hint of a storm. Everyone leaves work early and the stores are stripped of milk and bread. Why milk and bread, in particular, I have no idea.

Every once in a while the Providence Journal runs a story and pictures on the anniversary just to refresh the horror in the minds of the citizenry. Everyone has their Blizzard of 77 story.

The Time magazine for that week had a cover picture of a telephone pole in Buffalo NY where the drifts are up to the high cross piece.

[BarenakedLady]

3. Yup. I remember it well.

My Dad's co-worker got stuck at our house in Warwick for about a week or so.

:crazy:

[MorningGlow]

2. Yeah, baby!

I was in 7th grade. It was vicious! I can't believe it's "history" worth examining on the History Channel, though! Yikes.

The best part was it traumatized us so bad that when the next huge storm loomed in '78, everything shut down prematurely and then...pfft. Nothin'.
:rofl:

[Pithlet]

4. I remember it.

I lived in the Rochester area at the time. I remember walls of snow, and snow up to rooftops. I was 4 years old, and my parents have pictures of me in cleared out paths of snow deeper than I was tall. I've never seen snow like it since.