Buffalo-Area Couple Takes in Bus of Stranded Tourists

In almost every story about Buffalo's blizzard—perhaps the worst in city history—is a quote along these lines: “I’ve lived here my whole life, and this is the worst storm I’ve ever seen." That one is from 48-year-old Trisha LoGrasso, who has been huddled with her family for days around a space heater in their living room because a gas leak left them without power, per the AP. What's more, burst pipes left them without water. The latest on the storm, including some incredible stories emerging from the city:

• Numbers: Buffalo's Erie County may get another 2 inches on Tuesday, on top of the roughly 4 feet that has fallen since Christmas Eve. While the new total isn't large, it further complicates efforts to dig out, says Bob Oravec of the NWS. So far, 28 people have died in the region, many of them found in cars, homes, and snowbanks. The figure from what County Executive Mark Poloncarz calls “the worst storm probably in our lifetime"—ferocious wind and Artic temperatures accompanied the snow—is expected to rise.

• Stranded busload: The bus of a South Korean tour group headed for Niagara Falls got stuck Friday in suburban Williamsville. When members knocked on the door of a nearby home to borrow a shovel, Alexander and Andrea Campagna instead invited in all nine tour members and their driver, reports the New York Times. They stayed through the weekend. "Kindest people I have ever met," says Yoseb Choi, one of the tour members.
• Family's rescue: CNN has the tale of a family of six—including children ages 9 months to 8 years—rescued from their stranded car amid a whiteout. "Please don’t leave us,” the father pleaded with the first firefighter to reach their car. "Don’t worry, man,” firefighter Joel Eberth replied. “I promise we won’t leave you.” The family spent Christmas Eve and Christmas Day back at the firehouse.
• Snowmobilers: With even first responders getting stuck in the snow, volunteers on snowmobiles have provided a critical lift, reports the Buffalo News. The story recounts multiple rescues, including that of a 90-year-old woman from a townhouse without power or heat of any kind.
• New arrivals: A snow plow guided a woman with a complicated pregnancy to the hospital, where she had a successful birth, per the Guardian. The Buffalo News has another story about how a doula connected via video with a stranded couple—strangers to her—to guide the woman through childbirth.

(More Buffalo stories.)