Weatherdammerung 2024: I didn't expect it to get this weird and bad this soon

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > C-SPAM > Weatherdammerung 2024: I didn't expect it to get this weird and bad this soon

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Willa Rogers: Mar 11, 2005

quote:

Buffalo woman saves life of mentally-disabled man, 64, caught in historic blizzard by bringing him into her home and cutting off clothes and plastic bag straps that FROZE to his skin

A mother of three is being called a 'true angel in Buffalo' after she saved the life of a mentally disabled man who got caught in last week's historic blizzard.

As the deadly storm slammed several parts of the country over the holiday weekend killing at least 64 people, Sha'Kyra Aughtry was at her home in Buffalo, New York when she heard someone yelling for help on the morning of Christmas Eve.

Aughtry and her boyfriend Trent found Joey 'Joe' White, a 64-year-old mentally disabled, local movie theater worker outside in a snow bank and suffering from severe frostbite, according to her social media posts and the GoFundMe set up for White.

White was covered in snow and was 'so frozen they had to cut his socks off, use a hairdryer to dry his pants that were frozen to his legs, and cut the straps of a Wegmans bag from his hands.'

The couple used giant shearing clippers to cut a ring off his finger, which was swollen and turning black from apparent gangrene, it was reported. White suffered terrible fourth-degree burns, and is receiving specialist treatment. But he would almost certainly have died had Aughtry not stepped in to help.

***

She sent her boyfriend Trent out to help and he came back carrying the feeble man, who they eventually learned was called 'Joe' and that he was 64 years old.

He couldn't tell Aughtry his address, but remembered his sister's number, and Aughtry called her to let her know they had found him.

His sister later said that White is developmentally disabled and has the mental capacity of an 11-year-old child, The Buffalo News reported.

'He can read, somewhat. He's very sociable,' Yvonne White said. 'He likes talking to people, likes meeting people, very outgoing.'

Yvonne told the outlet that her brother lives in a group home on Parkridge Avenue, just a few blocks from Aughtry, and works at the North Park Theatre. She said she believes he went to work - a job he's had since he was 17 - out of habit, and then tried to walk home in the storm.

When she got the news he had been found, she made several calls to 911, but first responders weren't able to get there.

Aughtry spoke to a doctor from Rochester via videoconference who saw White's severe frostbite and said he needed to be taken to a hospital.

***

Aughtry posted a plea on Facebook for help and with the assistance of neighbors and kind strangers, their driveway was plowed and they were able to get White to hospital.

'I've had this man since 6:37 yesterday morning. Nobody has been here to help this man,' she said.

'This is what his hands is looking like. We've got to get some help. He has gangrene on his hands... He's going to lose his fingers. I don't know what to do. Y'all need to share this... Nobody has been here. I called the National Guard. I have called 911. I've called everybody and they keep telling me, I'm on the list. I don't want to be on the list.'

Aughtry rode with White to the hospital telling him: 'Look at me, Joe. Don't cry. Don't cry... We're friends for life now.'

# ? Dec 28, 2022 16:51

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# ? Jun 4, 2024 16:36

i am harry: Oct 14, 2003

NeonPunk posted:

They couldn't even do that at all. The blizzard was so bad that an entire family in a car couldn't find the shelter that was open for them to come in and warm up, even though the shelter was literally on the end of the block from where they were stuck at

they did eventually get there, because a news crew who was forced to go out into it saw them while filming

# ? Dec 28, 2022 17:00

FlapYoJacks: Feb 12, 2009

GPS: Famous for working with heavy cloud and snow cover.

# ? Dec 28, 2022 17:03

Epic High Five: Jun 5, 2004

I'm sure everybody who lives in blizzard country is having a good chuckle at all the One Weird Tricks. Trust me whatever you're thinking of has been thought of and tried before, homes and whole communities used to be built around reducing the chance someone takes 10 steps from their front door and gets fatally lost

# ? Dec 28, 2022 17:39

Frosted Flake: Sep 13, 2011; Semper Shitpost Ubique

I don't know if it's an American thing but the complete absence of winter survival skills or vehicle recovery skills in Buffalo is a bit shocking. Dying of carbon monoxide poisoning from running a vehicle when the snow is up to the tailpipe, not having traction pads and shovels, not having blankets or shelter. I'm not trying to be cruel, but these people lived in Buffalo and they can't survive getting stuck in the snow?

Posters ITT talking about not being able to see your hands or whatever, yes, that's what a blizzard is like, which is why you're supposed to have lights in the trunk, a paper road map, cold weather gear, gloves, boots etc. in the trunk. I don't know, I understand they were failed, but the deaths I've seen reported were avoidable.

# ? Dec 28, 2022 18:03

Epic High Five: Jun 5, 2004

Here lies Uncle Frank, got too confident on brandy and died when he got lost walking to the shitter

# ? Dec 28, 2022 18:11

tater_salad: Sep 15, 2007

the only weird trick is stay put till it's over.

yes it sucks, yes you might be stuck at work, or at tops, or at whatever that is not your home. But when the weather and areas that were hit with the storm shows the temp dropping from rain to freeze in 10 mins, you need to get wherever the gently caress you wanna stay and be there by that time and stay put.

it 100% sucks the loss of life that has occured here and hoepefully next month when we get our next storm of the century, people may listen.

Part of the issue is the same as hurricanes etc. It wasn't that bad last time, or they said it was going to hit bad and it was a wet fart so I'm going to ignore the warnings and go about my day. Eventually you run out of times and it hits as bad or worse and you're hosed.

Frosted Flake posted:

I don't know if it's an American thing but the complete absence of winter survival skills or vehicle recovery skills in Buffalo is a bit shocking. Dying of carbon monoxide poisoning from running a vehicle when the snow is up to the tailpipe, not having traction pads and shovels, not having blankets or shelter. I'm not trying to be cruel, but these people lived in Buffalo and they can't survive getting stuck in the snow?

Posters ITT talking about not being able to see your hands or whatever, yes, that's what a blizzard is like, which is why you're supposed to have lights in the trunk, a paper road map, cold weather gear, gloves, boots etc. in the trunk. I don't know, I understand they were failed, but the deaths I've seen reported were avoidable.

Some folks don't even bother with snowbrushes.
My bag in the back of my van contains a blanket, lighter with flulid, 4ah battery and flashlight, 4ah battery and power inverter. My snow/ski gear gets put in my car when not in use. The only thing I really dont' have is water/snacks becuase water freezes and makes a bigass mess and I Figure there's snow around to eat/drink from. I should probalby stick some protein bars / paydays or something in there.

tater_salad has issued a correction as of 18:18 on Dec 28, 2022

# ? Dec 28, 2022 18:11

Milo and POTUS: Sep 3, 2017; I will not shut up about the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers. I talk about them all the time and work them into every conversation I have. I built a shrine in my room for the yellow one who died because sadly no one noticed because she died around 9/11. Wanna see it?

Hexigrammus posted:

Well, that's horrible. Echos of family stories of homesteading in B.C.'s Peace River district in the mid 1900s. Get caught outside, even in your car, you die.

The winter of 1948-1949 was particularly harsh for them but there was a "it's always bad up there" attitude when they told their stories. Turns out the rest of the continent got hammered that winter as well. Right up there with 1888 only with more people on the prairies.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gl6Iz4dXGdg

All the rich old Vancouver Islanders with near new snowblowers gathering dust in their garages for the last 10 years feeling smug rn. Normally about as useful as a snowmobile.

I need to quit thinking 10 years ago was normal. Not today, boyo!

I guess you can't build a quinzee when you're just dealing with pure ice, which is generally what people in cold places get anymore

# ? Dec 28, 2022 18:44

HashtagGirlboss: Jan 4, 2005

Frosted Flake posted:

I don't know if it's an American thing but the complete absence of winter survival skills or vehicle recovery skills in Buffalo is a bit shocking. Dying of carbon monoxide poisoning from running a vehicle when the snow is up to the tailpipe, not having traction pads and shovels, not having blankets or shelter. I'm not trying to be cruel, but these people lived in Buffalo and they can't survive getting stuck in the snow?

Posters ITT talking about not being able to see your hands or whatever, yes, that's what a blizzard is like, which is why you're supposed to have lights in the trunk, a paper road map, cold weather gear, gloves, boots etc. in the trunk. I don't know, I understand they were failed, but the deaths I've seen reported were avoidable.

It�s not like there aren�t plenty of people who were entirely prepared. You just don�t hear about them

There�s a lot of reasons that people aren�t prepared, and a big part of it is just bandwidth going along trying to survive day to day in the hellscape of being a non-rich person in the US and stuff like that just gets pushed out of mind because you�re dealing with any number of more immediate crises

You can moralize if you want, I don�t care to because it�s not like I have prepared for every possible natural disaster that might hit where I live

# ? Dec 28, 2022 18:55

Hexigrammus: May 22, 2006; Cheech Wizard stories are clean, wholesome, reflective truths that go great with the marijuana munchies and a blow job.

tater_salad posted:

The only thing I really dont' have is water/snacks becuase water freezes and makes a bigass mess and I Figure there's snow around to eat/drink from. I should probalby stick some protein bars / paydays or something in there.

Unless something has changed since I did any cold weather survival training it's bad to eat snow when you need water. Always melt it first. For stick-it-in-the-truck-and-forget-about-it supplies I use lifeboat rations for food & water. Water is in foil pouches that don't burst when frozen. Unfortunately the water tastes like vinyl. :barf:

Depending on which formulation you get the food bricks are lemon cake delicious. Probably not a good thing when a brick is supposed to last for a week. :yum:

Epic High Five posted:

Here lies Uncle Frank, got too confident on brandy and died when he got lost walking to the shitter

More family stories from the Peace River: Chamberpots under the bed so you don't need to wander out and get lost in the snow and dark. Family was Seventh Day Adventist so no brandy was involved but you still don't want to push your luck even with Jesus as your guiding light.

Large family of young kids visiting a similar neighbouring family in the winter. Homesteader cabins aren't very big at that stage, kids are upstairs playing because it's too bloody cold to play outside. A chamberpot gets knocked over and the contents flow down the side of the metal chimney and hit the hot woodstove directly below. Eye-watering hilarity ensues.

# ? Dec 28, 2022 19:19

tater_salad: Sep 15, 2007

Hexigrammus posted:

Unless something has changed since I did any cold weather survival training it's bad to eat snow when you need water.

Yes eating snow will hypotherm you if you're in a 100% survival situation where you are freezing in nature. I guess if my car broke down I could get hosed.. I do keep a few packs handwarmers in my center console too.
I guess I could do foil pouches, or toss a tin can or two in my trunk. I usually always have a nalgene bottle with me.

Anyways.. it'll be friggin 50 tomorrow so we get to deal with flooding from these massive piles of snow coming in. Hopefully power come back on for everyone so their sump pumps can run.

# ? Dec 28, 2022 19:27

Koirhor: Jan 14, 2008; by Fluffdaddy

yeah they probably want to find all the dead before they thaw out

# ? Dec 28, 2022 21:05

Griz: May 21, 2001

i am harry posted:

one of the articles about buffalo flippantly mentions that one of the dead died while shoveling snow????

3 froze in their cars, 4 froze in their homes, 3 heart attacks while shoveling, 3 died because all the ambulances were stuck

national guard is going door to door today
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2022/dec/28/buffalo-storm-national-guard-new-york

# ? Dec 28, 2022 21:18

Frosted Flake: Sep 13, 2011; Semper Shitpost Ubique

Koirhor posted:

yeah they probably want to find all the dead before they thaw out

The arrivals areas of all of the airports right now smell indescribable because the huge amounts of luggage that arrived without passengers that�s piling up. One cause is that apparently some contained Christmas leftovers or even food intended for Christmas on westbound flights.

It�s overpowering, if you walk through YYZ arrivals, and that was wearing an Aura.

# ? Dec 28, 2022 21:28

Laterite: Mar 14, 2007; It's Gutfest '89; Grimey Drawer

Frosted Flake posted:

The arrivals areas of all of the airports right now smell indescribable because the huge amounts of luggage that arrived without passengers that�s piling up. One cause is that apparently some contained Christmas leftovers or even food intended for Christmas on westbound flights.

It�s overpowering, if you walk through YYZ arrivals, and that was wearing an Aura.

# ? Dec 28, 2022 22:01

alarumklok: Jun 30, 2012

just think. right now, there is a suitcase of taco salad stewing at LAX completely unattended and unguarded

# ? Dec 28, 2022 22:03

Pepe Silvia Browne: Jan 1, 2007

Frosted Flake posted:

I don't know if it's an American thing but the complete absence of winter survival skills or vehicle recovery skills in Buffalo is a bit shocking. Dying of carbon monoxide poisoning from running a vehicle when the snow is up to the tailpipe, not having traction pads and shovels, not having blankets or shelter. I'm not trying to be cruel, but these people lived in Buffalo and they can't survive getting stuck in the snow?

Posters ITT talking about not being able to see your hands or whatever, yes, that's what a blizzard is like, which is why you're supposed to have lights in the trunk, a paper road map, cold weather gear, gloves, boots etc. in the trunk. I don't know, I understand they were failed, but the deaths I've seen reported were avoidable.

we haven't had an actual bad winter storm since 2014? I think. That's almost ten years. If someone moved here from the other side of the world or even the other side of the country and didn't have to deal with it for the last five years it's not that unthinkable.

# ? Dec 28, 2022 22:48

webcams for christ: Nov 2, 2005

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# ? Dec 28, 2022 23:33

i am harry: Oct 14, 2003

webcams for christ posted:

https://twitter.com/JColey716/status/1608147372931956736

https://twitter.com/JColey716/status/1608201022043836417

obviously this is lovely as gently caress, but...yeah, you will...you'll live for several days without any food just fine. you might not enjoy it but you'll live.

# ? Dec 28, 2022 23:35

FlamingLiberal: Jan 18, 2009; Would you like to play a game?

So to recap-

-Taking food from stores to survive: bad

-Trying to get someone to plow your driveway: bad

-Starving to death at home: also bad because you should have known better

Thanks, City of Buffalo

# ? Dec 28, 2022 23:37

Willa Rogers: Mar 11, 2005

the red cross sucks but can be somewhat helpful in mass disasters. Is it doing anything in buffalo?

# ? Dec 28, 2022 23:45

Spergin Morlock: Aug 8, 2009

NeonPunk posted:

Lmao, you can't even see your phone in that kind of weather. Your phone is also just gonna get all iced up fast as gently caress and now you got a busted phone (I don't care how good your case is, it's gonna get hosed up in that kind of weather)

never mind the part where all the snow would be reflecting and scattering the GPS signals so nobody would be able to receive them on the ground there

# ? Dec 28, 2022 23:45

tater_salad: Sep 15, 2007

The county executive said 10 times the national guard was not ticketing folks so that landlord lied.

# ? Dec 29, 2022 00:05

Paradoxish: Dec 19, 2003; Will you stop going crazy in there?

Pepe Silvia Browne posted:

we haven't had an actual bad winter storm since 2014? I think. That's almost ten years. If someone moved here from the other side of the world or even the other side of the country and didn't have to deal with it for the last five years it's not that unthinkable.

Don't forget that Americans are heavily sold on the idea that driving an AWD CUV will save them from even the worst conditions imaginable. It's baked into every bit of advertising imaginable and right up there with "I need a 3-ton rolling fortress to protect my kids" as a primary reason why people buy these things. No one thinks they're going to get stuck, so no one prepares for roadside emergencies.

Like good luck finding a car commercial right now that doesn't show some lovely thing riding on a raised sedan-based platform tearing down unplowed roads with a tiny disclaimer that it's a professional driver on a closed course using snow tires.

# ? Dec 29, 2022 00:32

HashtagGirlboss: Jan 4, 2005

tater_salad posted:

The county executive said 10 times the national guard was not ticketing folks so that landlord lied.

County executives are well known for their honesty when it comes to that kind of thing, but so are landlords so it�s a real puzzler

# ? Dec 29, 2022 00:44

Seatbelts: Mar 29, 2010

Frosted Flake posted:

I don't know if it's an American thing but the complete absence of winter survival skills or vehicle recovery skills in Buffalo is a bit shocking. Dying of carbon monoxide poisoning from running a vehicle when the snow is up to the tailpipe, not having traction pads and shovels, not having blankets or shelter. I'm not trying to be cruel, but these people lived in Buffalo and they can't survive getting stuck in the snow?

Posters ITT talking about not being able to see your hands or whatever, yes, that's what a blizzard is like, which is why you're supposed to have lights in the trunk, a paper road map, cold weather gear, gloves, boots etc. in the trunk. I don't know, I understand they were failed, but the deaths I've seen reported were avoidable.

Whoa careful with that rhetoric the posters itt are sensitive about winter driving.

# ? Dec 29, 2022 00:51

Fuck You And Diebold: Sep 15, 2004; by Athanatos

in my experience door to door canvassing in -15�f weather including blizzard conditions, my personal android phone always worked but my work iPads died immediately in anything under 0�f conditions

# ? Dec 29, 2022 00:52

SirPablo: May 1, 2004; Pillbug

Spergin Morlock posted:

never mind the part where all the snow would be reflecting and scattering the GPS signals so nobody would be able to receive them on the ground there

This is a joke right

# ? Dec 29, 2022 00:52

Dustcat: Jan 26, 2019

seems like the national guard shouldn't be ticketing snow plows clearing the streets but i guess i don't know how snow emergencies work

# ? Dec 29, 2022 00:53

Jaxyon: Mar 7, 2016; I’m just saying I would like to see a man beat a woman in a cage. Just to be sure.

having lived in that part of the country ticketing snow plows after a blizzard seems like absolute made up bullshit

# ? Dec 29, 2022 00:58

Spergin Morlock: Aug 8, 2009

SirPablo posted:

This is a joke right

# ? Dec 29, 2022 01:04

Wolfy: Jul 13, 2009

I think the thing with being unprepared is I don't think most people who live in Buffalo don't really envision them ending up in a survival situation within the city or just outside of it. Most storms that blow through even if someone gets stuck there's probably help of some sort that can get to them.

# ? Dec 29, 2022 01:10

Frosted Flake: Sep 13, 2011; Semper Shitpost Ubique

Wolfy posted:

I think the thing with being unprepared is I don't think most people who live in Buffalo don't really envision them ending up in a survival situation within the city or just outside of it. Most storms that blow through even if someone gets stuck there's probably help of some sort that can get to them.

Don't people upstate have to drive pretty long distances? Like for work, wouldn't you have to drive Buffalo to NY or something, and get used to the possibility of a bad time on the back roads?

# ? Dec 29, 2022 01:17

Pepe Silvia Browne: Jan 1, 2007

Frosted Flake posted:

Don't people upstate have to drive pretty long distances? Like for work, wouldn't you have to drive Buffalo to NY or something, and get used to the possibility of a bad time on the back roads?

yeah i drive six hours to new york city to work everyday from my mud hut here in buffalo

# ? Dec 29, 2022 01:25

Frosted Flake: Sep 13, 2011; Semper Shitpost Ubique

Pepe Silvia Browne posted:

yeah i drive six hours to new york city to work everyday from my mud hut here in buffalo

I meant like I have to drive to Ottawa for work once in a while. Not like, a daily commute.

# ? Dec 29, 2022 01:33

Luneshot: Mar 10, 2014

https://twitter.com/burgwx/status/1608262305132994563

# ? Dec 29, 2022 01:50

Paradoxish: Dec 19, 2003; Will you stop going crazy in there?

I dunno man, saying that people in Buffalo need to even semi-routinely drive to NYC for work is like suggesting that people in Maine need to drive down to NYC for some reason. They're like 400 miles apart.

# ? Dec 29, 2022 01:52