New York Governor Andrew Cuomo warned the residents of the Buffalo region through a conference held Sunday that they should prepare themselves as up to 7 feet of melting snow could lead to a flood, US News reported.
After the rainfall that swept across the region on Sunday and temperatures rising to 50 degrees, the warmer weather that is expected to hit come Monday could reach up to 60 degrees, leading to a big melt. Aside from the flood, citizens are being urged to get ready as they are also expecting more rain, winds, and power outages, according to US News.
Cuomo spoke at a news conference in Cheektowaga, added the report, where he advised residents to "err on the side of caution." He said that they were preparing as much as they could and were hoping for the best.
Members of the National Guard have circled the region on Sunday, clearing storm drains and shoveling snow off roofs, following reports by the National Weather Service that the deep snow contained as much as 6 inches of water and could lead to roads being submerged, US News said.
Cuomo has also warned residents that even homes that have not experienced flooding could be flooded, as there is also a chance of rain in the coming days, NBC reported.
"Flooding, in my opinion, is worse than dealing with snow," he said in the report. "It's not water. It's a toxic brew."
NBC also reported that Eric Schneiderman, the State Attorney General, has announced they were lowering prices due to the difficult time ahead and have promised legal action against businesses which increase the prices of food, gas and repair services by as much as 300 percent.
Schneiderman has blasted the price gouging and has already sent a cease and desist letter to a business for their actions, according to WGRZ.
Schneiderman said that, "While the response to the tragic storm in Western New York has been overwhelmingly positive, a small handful of shady businesses are looking to use this moment of crisis to make a quick buck." He then proceeded to call the act "reprehensible," according to WGRZ.
According to The Guardian, Volunteers have also been scouring the area around Buffalo, armed with shovels and helping dig up snow.
Beth Bragg said she was out first thing on Saturday to shovel snow and was met with hundreds of other volunteers. She said to The Guardian, "I know people really need to get shoveled out, especially some of the older folks, so I'm just doing my part to help out."
Kevin Masterson, 61, and his brother-in-law had their cars stuck in the road from the heavy snow and thanked volunteers who helped him dig, calling them all "angels," while Greg Schreiber, one of the volunteers, said he was willing to dig "until the back gives out."
The National Weather Service said everything could be back to normal by mid-week as the region returns to much colder temperatures, according to NBC.