By Nehitha Jayakumar
It is without doubt that the Bomb Cyclone of 2022 will go down in history as one of the most catastrophic and devastating winter storms the city of Buffalo has ever faced. The storm made its way to Buffalo around the start of the holiday weekend. As the cold arctic air swept across the warm waters of Lake Erie, the region was dumped with feets of snow. When combined with more than 70 mph winds, Buffalo was bracing for one of the worst storms it has experienced since the blizzard of 1977. This blizzard definitely did not bring just a “white Christmas” for Buffalo’s residents; the disastrous combination of wind and snow proved to be deadly. However, this devastating storm did not only bring tragedy upon Buffalo; it also brought out the best in people to help each other in a time of hardship. It is evident why Buffalo is known as the “City of Good Neighbors” after seeing how the community managed to come together to battle this terrible storm.
There are countless stories of people helping one another as the storm swept over the city. From giving people stranded in the snow somewhere to stay and handing out resources when people were trapped in their homes, almost everyone found a way to make the best out of the situation. Many businesses were kind enough to let people seek refuge in their stores while the storm passed. One local Target located in Cheektowaga offered to let people stay the night at the store when they closed. About 24 motorists that were stranded on the road were grateful for warmth and shelter from this Target. Not only did they provide shelter, they also provided them with blankets, drinks from Starbucks, and outlets for charging. The motorists spent two nights at this Target as well as celebrated Christmas day there. The kindness from these Target employees definitely saved the lives of many.
Another heartwarming story showing the kindness of strangers in Buffalo is one of a man who broke into a school to provide shelter for about two dozen people stranded on the road. The man, named “Merry Christmas Jay ” by local police, had been stranded on the road in the midst of the storm. In order to escape the blizzard, he quickly decided to seek refuge in a nearby school. Instead of staying inside the school, Jay ventured out further to save other people stranded on the road and brought them back to the school. He was able to save about 24 people. Inside the school, he was able to find food in the cafeteria and other resources in the nurse’s office. Jay’s brave actions showed how tough situations like this can really bring out the best in people.
Although this blizzard proved to be a challenge to the city of Buffalo, the community was able to unite together to overcome the difficulties. We need to especially thank first responders such as firefighters, the police, and healthcare workers for stepping in and handling the situation by helping people. It is nice to know that we are not alone when we have hardships such as these and that our friends and sometimes even kind strangers are there for us to help us get through the tough times together.
