We, the Steering Committee of the Buffalo Democratic Socialists of America, reflect on the aftermath of the Blizzard of ‘22, as we mourn the lives of at least 40 of our fellow citizens with many more wounded. Some, including children, are left permanently crippled from frostbite induced amputations.
A devastating blizzard brought our region to a standstill, forcing us to barricade ourselves in our homes for the entirety of the Christmas weekend. If we were lucky, we were trapped with food, electricity, heat, and our loved ones. The less fortunate among us endured blackouts, freezing indoor temperatures, and depleted supplies – some alone, many without help. For days we looked out our windows, shocked that we could not see our neighbor’s house forty feet away. During the storm we were told search and rescue efforts had been suspended; those of us in danger were on our own.
As we consider the complete collapse of municipal society, there is surely blame to go around. However, we are not naive to think that some other leader could have magically done much more to ameliorate the worst effects of the blizzard, given the priorities of this city over the years and the infrastructure and municipal services produced by those priorities.
For decades, we’ve prioritized car infrastructure over all other modes of transportation. Many Buffalonians will tell you that the reason everyone needs to drive and own a car is because of the snow, but the truth is, every personal automobile is a massive liability during extreme snowfall. Dozens died in their cars when they got stuck, more when they ventured out on foot without functioning public transit or reliable warming centers. Thousands of vehicles, including three quarters of all emergency vehicles deployed during the storm, were abandoned. This blocked roads and further complicated search and rescue operations. Even in the storm’s aftermath, a pedestrian was hit and seriously injured by a motorist on Dec. 30 while walking in the street, as many sidewalks were still completely impassable because the city and county only care about snow removal for cars.
For public safety and first responders, we’ve prioritized the militarization of police over disaster preparedness. Police had to ask people with snow mobiles to help, since we’ve let them spend their money on SWAT trucks and riot gear instead of track vehicles and emergency response equipment. We spend 20% of our city’s annual budget on police, but a small fraction of that on the Department of Public Works; as a result, the city of Buffalo was last in the county in lifting our travel ban, forcing those of us living paycheck to paycheck to potentially go another day without work and those of us low on supplies to go another day without.
This disaster further laid bare the unequal investment in Buffalo. Maps showing power outages are the same as every other map of Buffalo – a city divided by decades of racial and class segregation, resulting in huge swaths of our city facing poorly maintained infrastructure. Power lines are buried in the rich parts of town, but in poor neighborhoods, we still rely on century-old overhead wires that left thousands in the dark. Slumlords let apartments rot, while elected officials and city hall turn a blind eye and accept their campaign donations.
As a result, many of our homes lacked sufficient insulation and heating capacity to keep us warm throughout the days-long blizzard. In areas where the city has failed to invest in our pipes, people lost water. And while neighborhoods with surviving local businesses that have owners and workers living within walking distance could keep their residents supplied, areas with only discount national chains found themselves without, and saw widespread looting.
These challenges are complex, connected, and vast, but they are not insurmountable. They require not just a change in leadership (although one is long overdue), but a fundamental change in our priorities.
Take, for instance, reliable public transportation. Had we spent the last 60 years expanding our subway network instead of building and maintaining highways which stayed closed throughout the storm, we’d have a reliable way for people to travel to safety, and lifesaving refuge from the elements spread throughout the city. We’re spending $100 million to bring cars back to Main St. downtown, meaning our lone light rail line can be rendered useless by a single stranded motorist. Plus, our city doesn’t have a written plan for keeping sidewalks clear, much less dedicated transit infrastructure that can’t be blocked by abandoned cars. This hardly seems like preparedness for “normal snowfall,” as City Hall claims it’s prepared for.
If we had public safety that was accountable to the needs and demands of our citizens, then maybe the police would be prepared better for severe weather than they are for protests against their own brutality. Maybe we wouldn’t have to hear cries for help go unanswered on police scanners, then hear those calls go hauntingly quiet as the night wore on.
If we recognized each other’s shared humanity and prioritized all our citizens regardless of their ability to buy into our most exclusive and expensive neighborhoods, then perhaps the poorest among us wouldn’t suffer the most when disaster strikes, and all of us would be able to lead safe, dignified lives.
Make no mistake, we have not seen the last of storms like the one we just witnessed. Lake Erie still hasn’t frozen over, leading to over 100” of snowfall, and we’ve hardly entered January. This is the second deadly storm that has brought our city to halt in the past six weeks. We cannot afford to wait preparing for the next one.
If you’re ready to do the hard, thankless work of changing the priorities and the mindset of our city, join Buffalo DSA as we organize our class to bring the change we all know we need and deserve.