Relentless snow storm pummeling parts of N.Y.
YOUR DESCRIPTION HAS REACHED THE LIMIT OF CHARACTERS ALLOWED AND WAS CUT. BUFFALO, N.Y. (CBS) -- A ferocious storm dumped massive piles of snow on parts of upstate New York, trapping residents in their homes and stranding motorists on roadways, as temperatures in all 50 states fell to freezing or below.
Even hardened Buffalo residents were caught off-guard Tuesday as more than 4 feet fell in parts of the city. Authorities said snow totals by Wednesday afternoon could top 6 feet in the hardest-hit areas south of Buffalo, with another storm expected Thursday.
The cold weather enveloping the entire country Tuesday led to record-low temperatures more familiar to January than November. Racing winds and icy roads caused accidents, school closings and delays in municipal operations from the Midwest to the South, even where snowfall was low or mercifully absent.
The storm was blamed for at least six deaths in New York, New Hampshire and Michigan.
We have tried to get out of our house, and we are lucky to be able to shovel so we can open the door, said Linda Oakley of Buffalo. We're just thinking that in case of an emergency we can at least get out the door. We can't go any further.
Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz said blocked roads were causing trouble for ambulances, reports CBS Buffalo affiliate WIVB-TV. We're not talking about stay off the roads so the emergency personnel can drive on them, he said. These roads are blocked and we have to clear them out before we can even think about letting the public come through.
The snowstorm forced motorists in 150 vehicles, including a women's basketball teamincluding a women's basketball team, to ride out the onslaught in their vehicles. They waited for hours to be freed, with some waiting more than a day. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo deployed 150 members of the National Guard to help clear snow-clogged roads and remove abandoned vehicles.
By early Wednesday, a Thruway official said most but not all passenger vehicles had been cleared.
It seemed like a nightmare. It just didn't feel like it was going to end, Bryce Foreback, 23, of Shicora, Pennsylvania, told The Associated Press by cellphone 20 hours into his wait for help. I haven't slept in like 30 hours and I'm just waiting to get out of here.
Foreback had become stuck in a long line of cars near the Lackawanna toll booths just south of Buffalo about 10:30 Monday night.
Members of the Niagara University women's basketball team were napping on and off 17 hours into their wait on Tuesday night. Some got so thirsty they drank melted snow, said Coach Kendra Faustin, who was traveling with her 1-year-old. They were finally rescued early Wednesday, Faustin tweeted.
The lake-effect snow created a stark divide: In downtown Buffalo and north of the city, there was a mere dusting of precipitation, while in parts south, snow was everywhere. The snow band that brought the snow was very much evident throughout the day as gray clouds persistently hovered over the southern part of the city. The band was so apparent that the wall of snow could be seen from a mile away.
In a region accustomed to highway-choking snowstorms, this one is being called one of the worst in memory. Snow blown by strong winds forced the closing of a 132-mile stretch of the New York State Thruway, the main highway across the state.
In New Hampshire and elsewhere, icy roads led to accidents. Lake-effect storms in Michigan produced gale-force winds and as much as 18 inches of snow, and canceled several flights at the Grand Rapids airport.
Schools closed in the North Carolina mountains amid blustery winds and ice-coated roads. In Indiana, three firefighters were hurt when a semitrailer hit
International Railway Bridge - Buffalo, N.Y. - Fort Erie, Ontario
The International Railway Bridge carries a railway line across the Niagara River between Fort Erie, Ontario, Canada and Buffalo, New York, United States. It was built in 1873 for the International Bridge Company by Casimir Stanislaus Gzowski and D.L. MacPherson.
The bridge consists of two sections, the first extending from the Canadian shore to Unity Island (formerly known as Squaw Island,) and the second extending from Unity Island to the American mainland shore. The portion between these was originally built on a trestle, but was filled to form an embankment soon after the bridge opened. Once on the American mainland, rail traffic is received by the Black Rock Rail Yard. The CN Rail Fort Erie Yard for interchange (shops and roundhouse) is now closed.
Prior to the construction of the eight stone piers, it was necessary to remove up to ten feet (three meters) of gravel from the bottom of the river. The piers were constructed from stone quarried at various locations on the Canadian side. Each pier was both pointed and sloped on the upstream side to most effectively break up ice flows. The iron for the bridge was manufactured at Phoenixville, Pennsylvania. Each of the 12 Pratt Truss spans was constructed on floating pontoons between the piers. Upon completion, the pontoons were filled with water to lower the bridge span precisely into place on the piers.
The bridge was constructed with two swing spans. One was located on the American side of the main channel of the river and provided a navigable opening of 160 feet (49 m) width. The second was located over Black Rock Harbor and provided a navigable opening of 90 feet (27 m) width. Both were operated by steam and could open or close in approximately fifty seconds. The portion of the bridge from Unity Island to the US Mainland was constructed for two tracks. The longer portion from Unity Island to Canada was built as only a single track. Both sections had a common sidewalk on one side.
The bridge was opened November 3, 1873, almost two years after the date originally evisioned. Construction cost $1.5 million. It was constructed without the loss of any lives, which was uncommon for a major construction project in that era.
Before the opening day of the bridge, many railroads had already constructed tracks to its location. The Grand Trunk, Great Western, Canada Southern Railway, Erie, New York Central and New York, West Shore and Chicago were all prepared to begin using the bridge soon after opening day. There were conflicts between the various companies using the bridge, including one where the Canada Southern Railway filed suit over the excessive rate of $1 charged for each rail car it carried over the bridge. Such conflicts are not unexpected when several competing railway companies use a single track.
The bridge was modified in 1900, during which time the pedestrian walkway was removed from the main span, The bridge's busiest day ever was July 10, 1916, when 264 trains crossed.
The swing bridge in the main channel, which does not cross the international border, ceased to open at some time between 1941 and 1944 (it appears on the US War Department chart 312 in February 1941, but not on the same chart in March 1944, or any time thereafter). The swing span between Unity Island and the American mainland continues to swing today. This portion of the bridge was built for two tracks, but currently carries only one. It also carries a road on one side, and a bicycle trail on the other side. This span also crosses over Interstate 190, the Niagara Section of the New York State Thruway.
Operations on the bridge were suddenly suspended in February 1993 due to problems with some of the stone piers. Canadian National spent $2 million to refurbish these and get the bridge back into operation.
The bridge is now part of the Canadian National Railway Stamford Subdivision. It is also used by the Canadian Pacific Railway. The bridge has seen an increase in traffic since the Canadian Pacific abandoned its route via Niagara Falls, Ontario and re-routed across this bridge in late 2001. Fifteen trains per day is now typical and often trains are seen at or near a stop on the bridge undergoing various security checks to cross the international border. The bridge no longer carries any passenger trains.
Naked crane climber tumbles to his death
A driver who led police on a wild pursuit on California's 110 Freeway to the Port of Los Angeles is dead. The man climbed a crane and stripped naked before jumping, or falling, 160 feet to his death. KCBS's Tom Wait reports.
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News 4 at 4
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Barn Burner: The Rise of the Lancaster County Metal Scene
Some of the most prominent metal bands playing today started practicing in barns in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. But Lancaster is still known more for horses and buggies than its music scene. From the mid-2000s onward, an underground metal (and metalcore) scene in Lancaster grew from a DIY effort to a creative movement that established a unique sound and internationally acclaimed artists like August Burns Red (twice Grammy nominated), This Or The Apocalypse, Texas In July, and more. These beloved bands describe their upbringing in rural Lancaster and how it influenced them to seek out a new sense of belonging in music. Mirroring the work ethic exhibited by their families and community members, bands booked their own shows, printed their own flyers, and built their own equipment. As the scene grew, it found support from unlikely places, like deeply invested parents and local churches, which further helped launch Lancaster to a household name in metalcore.Barn Burner is more than just an inside look at how Amish Country became a hotbed of heavy music. It is a story about coming of age in the midst of clashing cultures, and will connect with anyone who has found a home in music.