Pictured The Father Who Froze To Death On Snowy Buffalo Street On His Birthday: The first casualty of the unprecedented winter storm that has frozen most of the US was named a 56-year-old father who died after reportedly succumbing to hypothermia on a Buffalo street.
According to family members, William “Romello” Clay had been missing since 12 a.m. on December 23 after he left his home in hazardous winter weather to go to a store.
On Christmas Eve in the late afternoon, a horrifying video of a deceased guy laying face down in the snow at Bailey and Kensington Avenue surfaced. Later, those bones were revealed to be Clay’s, and his family begged people not to distribute the grisly video.
Although more information about Clay’s underlying medical concerns has not been disclosed, a message asking for aid that went up before the news of his death suggested that he might not have been taking his medication when he left home.
Buffalo is still being battered by snow, according to a video posted on Saturday night. Although wind off Lake Erie has caused enormous drifts to rise as high as the rooflines of some nearby single-story residences, less than a foot has fallen thus far.
One of the three people who are known to have died in Buffalo is Clay. First responders are thought to have been unable to reach the other two victims, who are still unidentified, during medical emergencies. The specifics of these medical emergencies have not been disclosed.
The unprecedented blizzard in the US has already claimed the lives of 23 people, and that number is sure to go up given the large number of people who were confined in their houses for days without heat or electricity.
Facebook was flooded with condolences for the tragic loss to the neighborhood. His son Jules Clay, also known as Cadean, said on social media that the loss’s agony had knocked him to the ground.
This suffering is unbearable. I can’t help but cry. I’m glad I called him yesterday and told him I loved him,’ he added.
One friend wrote, “This is our friend who lost his life during the blizzard on his birthday.”
“Rest in peace, Romello, the man found dead on Bailey and Kensington. Soldier, may your soul rest in paradise, another person commented.
Family members have begged for information on Romello’s whereabouts in earlier posts.
“Our brother has vanished. from the neighborhood of Rounds and Bailey. On Bailey, he frequents 7-Eleven. Please assist him if he knocks on your door, one family wrote.
“If you have any information, do call me on Messenger.” Pray for his protection, please. Romello is the moniker he goes by.
‘My nephew’s father has been missing since last night at midnight,’ a another family posted. He visited the shop. His name is William Clay, he could not be taking his prescription. Please provide him with shelter if you see him.
The family’s GoFundMe campaign features beloved Romello sporting a pink dress shirt with the goal of raising $3,000 for funeral costs.
“Hello, I’m Sophia. According to the page’s description, I am the sister of the man who died on December 24, 2022, in the 2022 Blizzard.
“On his birthday, my brother abruptly passed away. I respectfully want money to help with my brother’s funeral.
Earlier, a Buffalo Police representative stated that officers were still coordinating efforts to recover the body because of the blizzard conditions.
An autopsy will be required to ascertain the cause of death because it is currently unknown.
A paramedic supervisor fly car belonging to an American Medical Response team in Western New York allegedly had its contents taken after being trapped in the snow.
AMR reported that the Medic 21-designated vehicle, a Chevy Tahoe with typical AMR markings, got stranded in the snow on Buffalo’s William L. Gaiter Parkway less than a mile from the company’s headquarters.
When AMR personnel went back to get the vehicle after the Buffalo Department of Public Works dispatched a loader to dig it out, it had already been taken.
AMR requests that people stay away from the car and call the police if they see it.
The blizzard, according to Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz, “may be the worst storm in our community’s history.”
According to the National Weather Service, nearly 28 inches of snow had been recorded at Buffalo Airport as of 7 p.m. on Saturday, and more snow is anticipated to fall on Saturday night into Sunday.
During a press conference on Saturday, Democratic New York Governor Kathy Hochul stated, “It’s quite evident to me that the effects of climate change are wreaking havoc everywhere from the streets of Queens with flooding, all the way up to the City of Buffalo.”
But what’s happening in Buffalo right now is extremely dangerous. receiving calls all night from scared neighbors in areas where the thermostat has been off for a very long time.
Buffalo neighborhood Hamburg had several areas evacuated on Friday because of the possibility of flooding in the low-lying area.
Buffalo Airport was closed due to the snowstorm until Monday at 11 a.m.
The same catastrophic storm that blanketed much of the central United States with blizzard conditions and extreme cold also produced a significant lake-effect snow event that will last through the Christmas holiday.
Targeting the hardest-hit areas, such as Buffalo and the adjacent north towns, National Guard members were out in Erie County on Saturday morning helping people out of stuck cars.
According to the National Weather Service, a blizzard is defined as three or more hours of continuously sustained winds of at least 35 mph with a visibility of no more than a quarter of a mile in snow or blowing snow.
Buffalo experienced its first rain event as a result of the storm on Friday, when the city recorded 1.98 inches, shattering the previous day’s record of 1.73 inches that had been in place since 1878.
But on Friday morning, the rain turned to heavy snow as Arctic air surged in.
From Friday from noon through the early hours of Christmas Eve, the Buffalo airport recorded zero-mile visibility for approximately 16 hours.
Almost double the previous daily maximum snowfall record of 12.6 inches set in 1976, Friday’s total snowfall in the city ended up at a record-high 22.3 inches.
As of Saturday afternoon, the airport has received a total of 28.1 inches of snow.
Due to a severe lake-effect band that will linger downwind of Lake Erie through Christmas Day, a blizzard warning is still in force for the metro region until 7 am Sunday.
When cold, dry air, frequently from Canada, moves over the Great Lakes’ relatively warmer waters, lake-effect snow forms.
According to poweroutage.us, the states with the most power outages as of Saturday night at 11 p.m. were Maine (110,693), New York (38,041), Virginia (19,038), New Hampshire (18,056), and Pennsylvania (13,040).
Due to the demand for their services and the terrible below-freezing conditions over the holiday weekend, two major utility firms advised customers to use less late on Saturday.
Late on Christmas Eve, Con Edison and National Grid sent out messages requesting that their customers in New York reduce their use of gas and electricity.
The alert from Con Edison stated that “the call for conservation covers Con Edison’s 1.1 million natural gas, 3.5 million electric, and its steam customers in Manhattan and will stay in place until further notice.”
Saturday’s sub-zero temperatures caused mayhem for many New Yorkers who were attempting to dry off or shovel out from Friday’s winter storm.
In addition to the increased demand for natural gas, the rapid drop in temperature has put pressure on utilities, according to Con Edison.
The businesses have provided the following advice in the hopes that a voluntary reduction will assist keep the lights on.
By setting the thermostats one degree lower than the lowest comfortable temperature, you can save money on heating by using less energy.
Use appliances only when necessary, and turn off lights, televisions, laptops, and any other devices that are not in use.
If at all possible, wait to use appliances like dishwashers, washing machines, and dryers until the conservation recommendation is withdrawn.
Make sure that nothing that could restrict the flow of heat, such as furniture, carpeting, or other objects, is blocking any heating vents.
The National Guard also provided advice on how to utilize less natural gas.
If you are at home and using the thermostat to heat your home, set it to 60 degrees instead of the usual five degrees.
Avoid using equipment that consumes gas, such as clothes dryers, fireplaces, and other items that are not essential for your safety or health.
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