Buffalo Blizzard of 1977

by Timothy W. Kneeland

The Blizzard of 1977 is still remembered in Western New York, especially in Buffalo, which received the brunt of the storm. The blizzard occurred during the most extreme cold the area had ever seen, accompanied by some of the largest winter snowfalls on record. The blizzard struck with little warning on Friday morning, January 28, 1977, and the blowing snow and extreme cold paralyzed the Buffalo area until the first week of February. The storm made travel impossible and stranded thousands of people across the region, while snowdrifts buried houses up to the second story. This is a story not only of survival, but also of community. Neighbors helped neighbors, radio stations relayed messages and provided crucial information, and countless individuals donated their time and equipment to bring needed medicine or food to shut-ins across the region. The blizzard occurred during the most extreme cold the area had ever seen, accompanied by some of the largest winter snowfalls on record. The blizzard struck with little warning on Friday morning, January 28, 1977, and the blowing snow and extreme cold paralyzed the Buffalo area until the first week of February. The storm made travel impossible and stranded thousands of people across the region, while snowdrifts buried houses up to the second story. This is a story not only of survival, but also of community. Neighbors helped neighbors, radio stations relayed messages and provided crucial information, and countless individuals donated their time and equipment to bring needed medicine or food to shut-ins across the region

Genres: Nonfiction

128 pages, Paperback

Published January 23, 2017

About the author

Timothy W. Kneeland is a Professor and Director of the Center for Public History at Nazareth College in Rochester, New York. He is the author of Pushbutton Psychiatry: A Cultural History of Electroshock in America (2002; 2008), Democrats and Republicans on Social Issues (2016), The Buffalo Blizzard of 1977 (2017), Playing Politics with Natural Disaster: Hurricane Agnes, the 1972 Election, and the Origins of FEMA (2020), Declaring Disaster: The Buffalo Blizzard of '77 and the Creation of FEMA (2021), and The Routledge History of American Science (2022). In addition to teaching and writing, Dr. Kneeland provides political analysis for local media in Upstate New York.

Reviews

[Kristin Cioppa · Rating 5 out of 5]

it truly was an amazing storm. I was very little in 1977 and only remember playing in the snow, but I can't even imagine what it was like for the adults. Now that I am an adult with much more advanced technology, I would think that Buffalo may not see a storm this massive again. True Buffalo history right here in this book and I can truly say, I am proud to be a part of "The City of Good Neighbors!"

[John Montgomery · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you were around here in 1977, you know the story. This was a quick read but the extensive collection of photos really showed what happened. It was my freshman year of college so many commuters were stuck on campus.