Yes, the Blizzard of 1977, is legend here in South Niagara...along the shore of Lake Erie...Long Beach, Port Colborne, Ridgeway, Ontario Canada, and across the border here to Buffalo, and Western NY.
It is documented in a well known book called 鈥淲hite Death, The Blizzard of 77鈥, by a local teacher and naturalist, Erno Rossi.
It was beyond a blizzard, it was deadly and tragic, everyone born here or living here has harrowing stories to tell.
The actual situation was caused by frozen solid Lake Erie, covered in thousands of square miles of deep snow, which was blown into shore by sustained gale force winds for days. (aside from regular snowfall).
Today authorities on both sides of the border monitor snow cover on Lake Erie in deep cold winters, I have heard the Army Corps of Engineers in Buffalo monitors for the U.S., (such as in 2015...deepest freezes on record for underground, long sustained polar vortex, and snow far up houses to second floor windows), however, we were fortunate, we did not experience a wind blizzard, from the lake. Just the regular one! at that time.
Sadly people lost their lives in 1977, and were hurt, lost homes etc, but the stories I have heard over the years...are all about extraordinary kindness, courageous rescue and life-sustaining efforts that ordinary people did, really the story is about people helping each other to survive the blizzard, and save lives.
Yes, the Blizzard of 1977, is legend here in South Niagara...along the shore of Lake Erie...Long Beach, Port Colborne, Ridgeway, Ontario Canada, and across the border here to Buffalo, and Western NY.
It is documented in a well known book called 鈥淲hite Death, The Blizzard of 77鈥, by a local teacher and naturalist, Erno Rossi.
It was beyond a blizzard, it was deadly and tragic, everyone born here or living here has harrowing stories to tell.
The actual situation was caused by frozen solid Lake Erie, covered in thousands of square miles of deep snow, which was blown into shore by sustained gale force winds for days. (aside from regular snowfall).
Today authorities on both sides of the border monitor snow cover on Lake Erie in deep cold winters, I have heard the Army Corps of Engineers in Buffalo monitors for the U.S., (such as in 2015...deepest freezes on record for underground, long sustained polar vortex, and snow far up houses to second floor windows), however, we were fortunate, we did not experience a wind blizzard, from the lake. Just the regular one! at that time.
Sadly people lost their lives in 1977, and were hurt, lost homes etc, but the stories I have heard over the years...are all about extraordinary kindness, courageous rescue and life-sustaining efforts that ordinary people did, really the story is about people helping each other to survive the blizzard, and save lives.