On October 12 and 13, 2006, Buffalo, NY, and the surrounding area received a pounding snowstorm. The heavy, 2-foot-deep snowfall so soon after summer officially ended was unprecedented, ranking as the snowiest October day in Buffalo in the history of the weather service. Even with warning, there was no way to prevent the power outages that resulted.

Approximately 100,000 National Grid power company customers and almost 15,000 New York State Electric and Gas Co. customers lost power, and with the cold temperatures, many were in dire need of their electric heat.

It was a lake-effect snowstorm, accumulating in the Great Lakes and coming on land in western New York, and it was the biggest lake-effect storm that region had seen since 1909. The snow was extraordinarily wet and caused high amounts of physical damage, felling trees and pulling down power lines.

Many contractors throughout the United States sent crews to help National Grid Power Co. and New York State Electric and Gas Co. restore power, but many homes were left without electricity through the weekend.

The event serves as a reminder that with heavy snowfall comes power outages, and with the cold temperatures, those with electric heat will be at risk. This winter is predicted to be colder than last, though still relatively mild. Be on the lookout for areas that could use the assistance of a good electrical contractor.            EC