Snow's Aftershocks Wreak Havoc On Buffalo

A flood watch was posted Saturday as the region's record snowfall melted, and around 325,000 homes and businesses still had no electricity.

More than a day after nearly two feet of snow buried western New York, travel bans were lifted Saturday, the airport was open, stores reopened and the evening's Buffalo Sabres game was on.

However, National Grid still had more than 229,000 customers without power at noon Saturday and New York State Electric & Gas reported 96,500 customers still in the dark.

"This is going to be the worst (outage) we ever had in western New York," said National Grid spokesman Steve Brady.

Mike Burke, 52, had to go to a restaurant to warm up.

"I spent the night on the couch, dressed a little more heavily than normal — a sweat shirt, street clothes, with a quilt," Burke said at Daisies restaurant in Lackawanna. "I was just happy that the temperature wasn't down below freezing."

Because temperatures were in the 40s, the snow was rapidly melting and the National Weather Service posted a flood watch for the area.

Gov. George Pataki asked President Bush to declare a federal emergency in Erie, Genesee, Niagara and Orleans Counties. If the request is granted, the Federal Emergency Management Agency would provide reimbursement to local and state agencies for 75 percent of the total eligible costs for snow and debris removal.

Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton canceled a trip to Nevada so she could visit the area Saturday.

"Our street looked like it was hit by a hurricane. It looks like the apocalypse. It's unreal," said Buffalo resident Matthew Colken. "One-hundred-year-old trees are down."

Buffalo's two snowiest October days on record claimed three lives, two in traffic accidents and one person killed by a falling tree limb while shoveling snow.

Health officials said hospitals had seen dozens of cases of people sickened by carbon monoxide produced by improperly vented stoves and generators.