New York Guard Prepares to Respond to Upstate Snow Emergency

American Forces Press Service ^ | Gerry Gilmore

[SandRat]

WASHINGTON, Feb. 9, 2007 – The New York National Guard is preparing to assist local communities stricken by a winter storm that has dumped as much as 10 feet of snow in some areas, a state National Guard spokesman said today.

“Based on the current conditions in Oswego County, elements of the New York National Guard are leaning forward to plan and provide whatever response and resources may be called upon by the New York State leadership,” Army National Guard Lt. Col. Richard Goldenberg reported from the state’s joint force headquarters in Latham, N.Y., near Albany.

The snowstorm that began Feb. 4 has hit upstate areas like Oswego County, N.Y., particularly hard, Goldenberg said. The storm’s intensity prompted Gov. Eliot Spitzer to declare a state disaster emergency yesterday.

The New York National Guard has assisted local communities during past winter storms, Goldenberg pointed out. National Guard help was called upon during previous storms in the city of Buffalo, N.Y., he recalled, and during the ice storm that struck the northern part of the state in 1998.

“Snow emergencies are not a new occurrence in the state of New York,” Goldenberg said, noting the Guard has units located across the state that provide manpower, engineering and aviation assets.

However, the New York Guard hasn’t been called upon by state authorities to provide storm-related assistance at this time, Goldenberg said.

“We’re conducting all the necessary planning and preparations to lean forward to provide those resources if called upon,” Goldenberg said.

Oswego County’s director of emergency management, Patricia Egan, said today that she “was comforted” the National Guard is making ready to respond, if needed. However, she said, the Guard’s assistance isn’t required at this point.

But, “we always want to leave those doors open,” Egan pointed out. The storm is expected to last through the weekend, she said, noting as much as 10 feet of snow has already fallen in some areas. Much of the precipitation in upstate New York is “lake effect” snow from Lake Ontario, Egan said. Cold artic air meeting warmer air over unfrozen lakes produces that kind of snow.

Oswego County emergency management officials conducted a storm-response assessment yesterday, Egan said. Plans have been made to flow additional police and firefighters into hard-hit areas, she said, as well as having prisoners from state corrections facilities assist in removing snow from blocked streets and roads.

Egan wasn’t sure how much more snow the storm would produce over the weekend.

“It depends on Lake Ontario,” she said.

[SandRat]

GO GUARD!

[FreeReign]

Egan wasn’t sure how much more snow the storm would produce over the weekend.

Parts of Oswego County have 90" of snow since Sunday and there is a Lake Effect Snow Warning for additional accumulations until Monday

Long range, the forecast is for snow everyday for at the very least the next seven days.

[Gay State Conservative]

I did a couple of summer camps at Camp Drum (now Ft Drum) many years ago.I once got to talking to a Regular Army officer who was assigned to Drum the previous winter.He told me that it was,at that time,SOP to leave most of the Camp unplowed during the winter because it was only used during the summer by USAR and USANG units.

He told me that during that winter the buildings located in the unplowed areas disappeared under all the snow that had fallen.

[billorites]

Storm Surge!

[SandRat]

Was once there TDY in the early mid '80s over Independance Day. It SNOWED on the evening of the 3rd and we awoke Independance Day to 6" of the crap.

[stentorian conservative]

I am about 35 miles north of Oswego and I can tell you it is a mess. A cold, miserable mess.

Go Guard!

[billorites]

I don't remember upstate NY getting hammered like this when I was a kid in the 70's.

But, since the Republicans took control of Congress in 1994 it seems to be a regular occurrence.

Coincidence? Yeah, sure.

[Huntress]

Did you get any snow in the City of Evil? If I recall correctly, Ithaca is too far away from Lake Ontario to get much lake effect snow.

[Irish Eyes]

Coincidence? Yeah, sure.

Just part of Gore's Global Warming.

[coconutt2000]

The Guard could've responded faster, but with so many Guard members deployed to Iraq, domestic emergency operations have been compromised... /sarc

Someone has to beat the Democrats to the punchline.

[Celtjew Libertarian]

I don't remember upstate NY getting hammered like this when I was a kid in the 70's.

When I was growing up there in the 70s, Oswego had a day or two when it got nailed by 60+ inches and we had more than a few winters where the total snowfall topped 200 inches. There was also one time -- I think in the 80s -- when cold and winds left our house hidden behind icicle-supported snow drifts.

However, I think this is worse than anything I saw growing up, but it's not too much worse than the worst I saw. OTOH, I'm in Florida now, so I can't say for sure.

[geopyg]

I knew an old guy back in New Jersey (he had worked for Thomas Edison as a kid!) that loved to tell the stories from the old days. He used to drive a snowplow run excavators for the county, and remembers having to watch out for the powerlines when they were moving the snow it was so deep!

[Chode]

trucks to remove snow since theres no place left to put it let alone plow it and linemen prolly needed most...

[ex-snook]

I believe this is the National Guard 42nd Division and they were in Iraq already and now here to assist in this snow need.

[FreeReign]

When I was growing up there in the 70s, Oswego had a day or two when it got nailed by 60+ inches and we had more than a few winters where the total snowfall topped 200 inches.

I lived in Oswego for four years including the winters of 76-77 and 77-78 when we had about 225" of snow each of those years.

[Chode]

iirc that's why the Army started it's winter training there instead of Alaska, cause the winters were at least as bad and usually worse but it was still "relatively" near civilization.

[metmom]

NY ping.

Here's a link to local pictures from earlier in the week.
A slow load for dial up from what I've been told.

http://www.9wsyr.com/news/local/story.aspx?content_id=8adbcb60-ee6d-4c36-b85a-49a90d13fb86

[metmom]

I used to live in Fulton. Been there, done that, glad to be gone.

[metmom]

They have to front load snow to remove it just about every year.