AccuWeather Credits Social Media

Buffalo

An unrelenting bomb cyclone unleashed a ferocious lake-effect event in Buffalo, New York, during the heart of the holiday season, resulting in one of the deadliest blizzards the city has experienced. AccuWeather reports stories of neighbors helping neighbors during this historic snow have emerged as officials continue digging the city out from the snow.

In the early morning hours of Christmas Eve, Sha'Kyra Aughtry, a Buffalo resident, heard someone screaming from the streets. After peering out the window, she spotted a man calling for help.

Aughtry's boyfriend carried the man, later identified as Joe White, a 64-year-old mentally disabled Buffalo resident, into their home. According to a Facebook live from Aughtry, White was so frozen they had to cut his socks off and use a blow dryer to dry his pants that were frozen to his leg, CNN reported. She also said they had to cut the straps off a grocery store bag, which he had used to cover his hands. The frostbite on White's hands was severe.

Aughtry helping White to Eat

Aughtry called emergency responders for help, but when they told her she was on a list, she became worried for his safety. Without a background in medical care, she took to Facebook to plead for help.

"I've called the National Guard, I've called 911, I've called everybody. But they keep telling me I'm on a list. I don't want to be on no list," Aughtry said in a Facebook live. "I don't care about nothing else. This man is not about to die over here."

About an hour later, in another Facebook live, Aughtry said her pleas were finally answered. A group of men had shown up at her house to take her and White to a hospital. White is currently recovering in the ICU with fourth-degree frostbite.

Yvonne White, Joe's younger sister, told CNN that it was a "miracle" he remembered her phone number.

White's employer, Ray Barker, told CNN that even though White had the day off from work, he might have thought he still needed to go in. Barker adds that White likely got disoriented after leaving his group home on Christmas Eve.

"The theater is really his whole life," Barker told CNN. "We've been worried sick about Joe...(Aughtry) clearly saved his life."

During the duration of the storm, social media has played a crucial lifeline not only for Aughtry but also for countless other Buffalo residents. A Facebook page, created in 2014 after Buffalo was buried under deep snow, regained popularity during this most recent event. Residents could post what they were looking for, whether it was food, medicine or shelter, and neighbors could look out for one another.

At least 39 of the storm's fatalities were reported in Erie County, New York, which includes the greater Buffalo area, County Executive Mark Poloncarz said.

Greg Monett, a 43-year-old Buffalo resident, turned to social media to beg for help shoveling a 6-foot pile of snow from the end of his driveway so he could get dialysis treatment on Tuesday.

Monett told The Associated Press the power went out at his family's house, and they resorted to running the gas stove to keep warm.

"We had to do what we had to do. We would have froze to death in there," Monett told the AP. "This has been a nightmare."

On top of the dialysis appointment Monett had to get to on Tuesday, his blood sugar dropped dangerously low on Sunday. His family called 911, but just like with Aughtry, emergency services couldn't respond right away. At one point, Monett nearly passed out from his low blood sugar but eventually recovered on his own.

After he asked for some help on Tuesday, neighbors arrived to help Monett dig out his car, allowing him to make it to his dialysis appointment.

On Tuesday afternoon, the snow eventually stopped falling. Buffalo officially surpassed 100 inches for the season on Monday; by Tuesday, the city's total reached 101.6 inches. For comparison, Buffalo had only 10.7 inches of snow last winter by the end of December. This is more than the city's seasonal average for the entire winter, which stands at 95.4 inches, according to AccuWeather forecaster Ryan Adamson.