Gov. Hochul announces flooding assistance as 40 dead in New York winter storm

Dec. 29 (UPI) -- The 51 inches of snow that fell on Western New York are primed to melt, causing flooding as temperatures reach 40 to 50 degrees heading into the weekend.

Gov. Kathy Hochul is dedicating heavy resources to the Buffalo area in preparation for possible flooding. Temperatures will hit highs in the mid to high 50s for the next seven days with chances of rain Friday and Saturday.

"As we turn the corner on this historic winter storm, New York State is continuing to stay prepared ahead of potentially dangerous flooding conditions," the governor said.

"Our state agency personnel and local emergency responders have been coordinating throughout the storm, and we will continue to do everything we can to protect Western New Yorkers and help our communities recover."

About 800,000 sandbags and 300 pumps and generators are being made available while multiple state agencies respond to what could be yet another monumental weather-related event.

New York State Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services, the Department of Environment Conservation and the Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation are coordinating a response with local government agencies, Hochul said.

Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown said the city's travel ban has been lifted but cautions against unnecessary travel while snow removal continues.

"There is a Travel Advisory in place in the City of Buffalo. There are over 600 pieces of snow removal equipment throughout the City. Please use caution when driving," he tweeted.

More than 100 inches of snow fell in Buffalo this cold season, surpassing its season average of 89 inches with the massive pileup this past week. The state of New York reported 40 deaths related to the storm as of Thursday and 37 were in Erie County.

County Executive Mark Poloncarz said 31 deaths were in Buffalo. The county has spent an estimated $5 million on private contractors to help with snow removal, including $1 million in Buffalo on Wednesday.

On Wednesday, members of the National Guard were deployed to go door-to-door and perform wellness checks in regions of Buffalo that were without power.