Tricia Goodrich’s half brother died on Christmas Day. But she didn’t find out until December 26, when she learned of a Facebook post about his death.
Miss Goodrich was shocked and confused. She immediately called her brother. He confirmed that their younger brother, Timothy M. Murphy, died in a snowstorm that covered western New York over the weekend.
“He got the call at Christmas and didn’t want to ruin our Christmas,” she said.
Mr. Murphy, 27, died of carbon monoxide poisoning on Christmas after heavy snow blocked the fireplace outside his Lockport residence, according to a news release. Niagara County sheriff’s office.
He was among nearly 40 people in western New York killed by the powerful storm.
As of Wednesday afternoon, officials had confirmed 37 hurricane-related deaths in Erie County and one death in Niagara County, a number that officials expect to grow as they find and identify more victims.
“We will be recovering more bodies,” said Buffalo police commissioner Joseph Gramaglia at a news conference this week. “We’re pretty sure there will be more deaths that we can’t see at this point.”
Six days after the snow began to fall, road crews and emergency workers in Buffalo and across the region were still working to clear snow from roads and hundreds of abandoned vehicles on Wednesday.
About 70 percent of Buffalo’s streets were cleared of snow Wednesday morning, and more than 450 snow removal equipment was deployed across the city, Mayor Byron Brown said at a news conference. About 95 percent of the city’s main streets have been cleared of snow, Brown said.
However, the driving ban issued at the onset of a blizzard remains in effect in the city.
“Our goal is to finish the plow today,” said Mr. Brown. “We are looking to open up the city tomorrow, looking forward to opening Buffalo City Hall. We plan to finish it.”
With warmer temperatures expected in the coming days, officials also prepare for flood that can further complicate the recovery process.
Mike DeGeorge, a spokesman for the mayor’s office, said several of the identified victims had been discovered in vehicles stuck on impassable roads during the storm. Others were found “on sidewalks, near street corners, some in snowfields,” he said. Some have been found because some have lost power since the storm started.”
Here’s what we know so far about the victims.
Monique Alexander, 52 years old
Monique Alexander, 52, left home around 3pm on Christmas Eve, telling her daughter Casey Maccarone she would be right back.
Thirty minutes passed. Miss Maccarone called her mother, but heard only the wind on the other end of the line. She called back, and the phone went straight to voicemail. Two hours passed. Ms Maccarone posted in a Facebook group, asking if anyone had seen her mother.
Almost immediately, she received word from a man named Emmanuel Bobe, 29 years old. He told her that he had found her mother’s body frozen and covered in snow. He said he moved her under the porch of a nearby jewelry store, King of Diamonds, and called the police.
Ms Maccarone said: “Seeing snow will never be the same.
Ms. Alexander worked as a part-time home health assistant and part-time housekeeper at a hotel. “She was loyal to everyone,” Mrs. Maccarone said of her mother. “She’s everyone’s favorite, whether it’s cousin, grandma, everything.”
Andel Nicole Taylor, 22
Anndel Nicole Taylor, 22, was driving home from work on December 23 when her car got stuck in the snow. She repeatedly called emergency services for help but was repeatedly held back. She texted her family that she was scared. Around midnight, she went to bed. She was found dead in her car on Christmas Eve.
Her sister Shawnequa Renee Brown, 35, said: ‘She went to bed hoping they would save her as they told her.
Ms. Taylor is a certified nursing assistant who moved to Buffalo from Charlotte, NC, to care for her ailing father. Ms. Brown describes her sister as caring, outgoing and playful.
“She will meet you once, and now you will be friends forever,” Ms. Brown said. “She is the strongest person in the family.”
Abdul Sharifu, 26
Abdul Sharifu, 26, ventured out of his home on Christmas Eve to buy groceries, despite warnings not to do so from his pregnant wife, who is due to give birth next week, according to one person. you, Enock Rushikana.
Mr. Sharifu’s car was found abandoned at the corner of Main and Utica streets; His friends believed he was trapped and tried to walk home. His body was later identified by a friend at John R. Oishei Children’s Hospital.
Mr. Sharifu is a Congolese refugee who fled in 2017. His close-knit community calls him “911” because he would quit whatever he was doing to help those in need. He was excited to be the father of a son.
William Clay, 56 years old
The disturbing video of a seemingly frozen body in a snowy field started going viral on social media on Christmas Eve. It looks like it was William Clay, who was called Romello, according to the GoFundMe account for funeral expenses created by his sister, Sophia Clay. On that day, she wrote, he had turned 56.
Timothy M. Murphy, 27
Timothy M. Murphy, 27, did not return a call from his cousin, Steven Murphy, on Christmas morning.
Goodrich, Timothy’s sister, said Steven also had no contact with his mother, Kathy Murphy, who lived with his cousin.
Worried, Steven decides to drive to their home and check on them; he ended up having to walk after encountering snow-covered roads.
Ms. Goodrich said Steven found Timothy “cold” and unresponsive. “Can’t save him.”
Steven helps his mother out of the house and calls 911. He can also evacuate his cousin’s pet.
Timothy died of carbon monoxide locating. Ms. Murphy was taken to the intensive care unit at Mount St. Mary nearby.
“Steven is a hero,” Mrs. Goodrich said, adding, “That is just the definition of tragedy.”
Carolyn Eubanks, 63 years old
Carolyn Eubanks, 63, has a heart condition and relies on an oxygen machine that requires electricity to run, according to Buffalo News.
Her son, Antwaine Parker, knew she wouldn’t be able to survive in the house without heat or electricity. Mr. Parker and his stepbrother, Kenneth Johnson, decided to drive to her house; What was supposed to be a 10-minute drive ended up taking seven hours. They gathered her and took her to their car, but she became tired, The News reported.
Mr. Parker banged on a neighbor’s door for help. David Purdy and Cassieopia Layhee tried to help, but Miss Eubanks died.
Stanislawa Joźwiak, 73
Stanisława Jóźwiak, 73, ventured out for a drive on Friday morning, according to washington articles. Hours later, she called her daughter, Edie Syta, to tell her she was stuck in the snow. Family friends eventually found Ms. Jóźwiak’s body in the car, buried in about 2 feet of snow.
Ms Syta told The Post her mother was a Polish immigrant, had difficulty with English and probably didn’t understand the dangers of leaving home that morning.
Michael D. Regan contribution report. Alain Delaquérière Contributing research.
