Ten New York counties were in a state of emergency Wednesday, and one nursing home near Buffalo had to partially evacuate the building after a deadly winter storm swept through the area.
The town of Cheektowaga was among the hardest hit: its snowfall totaled 5 feet 5 inches, according to NBC News. There, 20 residents had to be evacuated from part of the Garden Gate Health Care Facility after the roof collapsed on a nearby warehouse, causing a gas leak, The Buffalo News reported.
Administrator Sue Grigg said workers “immediately smelled the gas” and called emergency responders around 6 a.m. Residents in rooms near the warehouse were safely moved to other parts of the facility, and four rooms remained vacated out of caution after the leak was controlled, she told the News.
Some staff members were at the 184-bed nursing and rehabilitation center for 48 straight hours to ensure residents received needed care during the storm, Grigg noted. Other healthcare facilities, including Buffalo’s Mercy Hospital, were short-staffed, according to CNN. A baby was delivered at a Buffalo fire station because an ambulance could not make it through the snow to the hospital. Hundreds of motorists were stranded in their vehicles overnight, including on a long stretch of Interstate 90.
At least six people have died as a result of the storm, several of them from heart attacks while shoveling, officials said. More snow was expected through Thursday, which could result in a record amount, according to CNN.
