BUFFALO, N.Y. – The New York National Guard placed 250 Soldiers and Airmen on duty in Western New York over the weekend in advance of a wind storm that brought gusts of up to 74 mph per hour to the region on Sunday.
The winds toppled trees, left 44,000 customers without electricity, forced road closures, and ripped the roof off of part of the University of Buffalo bookstore at the college's north campus, according to the Buffalo News on Monday morning.
The National Weather Service warned of damage and driving delays caused by the high winds, as well as potential damages to structures along the Niagara River and Lake Erie as high wind drives ice on shore. The wind was also expected to result in obscured vision as bands of lake-effect snow swept across the area, according to the weather service.
The activation of 250 Soldiers and Airmen to conduct debris clearance missions if needed, was part of overall state and local government preparations for the wind storm, Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo said.
"One thing we've learned over and over in these severe weather situations is if you wait for the storm to develop to start your actions, it's too late,” Cuomo said Sunday.
"We have taken every precaution to ensure a smooth response to these dangerously high winds and have made it clear to utilities that they must work to restore power as quickly as possible. I urge all New Yorkers to remain alert during this storm system and to report any disruptions in power to their utility immediately," the governor said.
The New York National Guard originally mobilized 100 Soldiers and Airmen—35 Soldiers from 42nd Infantry Division elements, 35 Soldiers from 53rd Troop Command units, and 30 Airmen from the 107th Attack Wing at Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station—and stationed them at the Masten Avenue Armory in Buffalo on Saturday along with 25 Humvees and trucks.
Forty chainsaws were provided for debris clearance teams to use. Five New York Guard members were assigned to conduct chain saw training classes.
On Saturday afternoon, the governor directed the allocation of an additional 150 National Guard service members who could be used to direct traffic as part of the debris clearance.
Seventy-five of those Soldiers were drawn from 53rd Troop command units while Joint Task Force Empire Shield assigned 75 Soldiers and Airmen to the mission.
Joint Task Force Empire Shield is the New York National Guard's full-time security augmentation force in New York City.
In addition to the 250 Soldiers and Airmen assigned directly to the debris clearance and traffic control mission, additional personnel was on duty to provide logistics support and mission command for the mission.
On Monday, 75 Soldiers were repositioned to the Thompson Road Armory in Syracuse to be available for missions in the Central New York region.