Buffalo Buried

Downed trees block driving lanes in Buffalo, N.Y., Friday, Oct. 13, 2006, after a heavy snowstorm. The rare early October storm left parts of western New York blanketed with 2 feet of snow, prompting widespread blackouts, closing schools and halting traffic.

A pedestrian makes his way along a street in Buffalo, N.Y., on Friday, Oct. 13, 2006, after a heavy snow storm. A rare early October storm left parts of western New York blanketed with 2 feet of snow, prompting widespread blackouts, closing schools and halting traffic.

Beth Ottaviami, of Corfu, N.Y., brushes off her car during the region's first snowstorm of the year in Williamsville, N.Y., Thursday, Oct. 12, 2006.

A motorist in Buffalo, N.Y., clears snow from his vehicle after heavy snow downed trees and power lines, Friday, Oct. 13, 2006. A rare early October snowstorm left parts of western New York blanketed with 2 feet of snow, prompting widespread blackouts, closing schools and halting traffic.

Bob Jaus tries to clear the snow in his driveway during a major snowstorm in Clarence, N.Y., a suburb of Buffalo Friday, Oct. 13, 2006. Jaus was trying to get to his restaurant to open his doors for food and other assistance. A rare early October snowstorm left parts of western New York blanketed with 2 feet of snow, prompting widespread blackouts, closing schools and halting traffic.

Bob Jaus clears the snow from his driveway during a major snowstorm in Clarence, N.Y., a suburb of Buffalo Friday, Oct. 13, 2006. Jaus, who owns a seafood restaurant, was trying to get to the restaurant to open and offer food and other assistance. A rare early October snowstorm left parts of western New York blanketed with 2 of snow by Friday, prompting widespread blackouts, closing schools and halting traffic.

Pedestrians walk around downed trees in Buffalo, N.Y., on Friday, Oct. 13, 2006, after a heavy snow storm. The rare early October storm left parts of western New York blanketed with 2 feet of snow, prompting widespread blackouts, closing schools and halting traffic.

Brutus, a Labrador retriever owned by Tom and Lisa Burton, struggles in the deep snow after a major snowstorm in Clarence, N.Y., a suburb of Buffalo, Friday, Oct. 13, 2006. The rare early October snowstorm left parts of the Great Lakes and Midwest blanketed with snow Friday morning, prompting widespread blackouts, closing schools and halting traffic.

Lisa Burton carries her son Thomas for a morning walk in the deep snow in the middle of an unplowed street after a major snowstorm hit the Buffalo area, Friday, Oct. 13, 2006. A rare early October snowstorm left parts of the Great Lakes and Midwest blanketed with 2 feet of snow, prompting widespread blackouts, closing schools and halting traffic.

Lisa Burton walks with her dog Duke and photographs the heavy snow in her neighborhood after a major snowstorm in Clarence, N.Y., a suburb of Buffalo, Friday, Oct. 13, 2006. A rare early October snowstorm left parts of the Great Lakes and Midwest blanketed with up to 2 feet of snow, prompting widespread blackouts, closing schools and halting traffic.

Ed Kawalek clears debris that fell on a car Friday, Oct. 13, 2006, in Hamburg, N.Y., outside of Buffalo. A rare and record breaking early season snowfall closed a 105-mile stretch of the New York Thruway and knocked out power to nearly 350,000 customers.

Trucks line up along the New York State Thruway Friday, Oct. 13, 2006, in Hamburg, N.Y., outside of Buffalo. A rare and record breaking early season snowfall closed a 105-mile stretch of the Thruway and knocked out power to some 350,000 customers.

Jeremy Ling clears fallen tree branches Friday, Oct. 13, 2006, in East Aurora, N.Y., outside of Buffalo. A rare and record-breaking early season snowfall closed a 105-mile stretch of the New York Thruway and knocked out power to about 350,000 customers.

Downed trees block a street in Buffalo, N.Y., Friday, Oct. 13, 2006. Up to two feet of snow from an extraordinary fall storm closed roads, cut power to some 350,000 customers and left the city paralyzed as officials banned driving in the parts of the region.

Chris Moose, an NYSEG employee, cuts wires to remove a broken pole from Gunnville Road after a rare early October snowstorm that buried parts of the Great Lakes region under as much as 2 feet of snow, in Clarence, N.Y., a suburb of Buffalo, Friday Oct. 13, 2006.