VIDEO TRANSCRIPT: Severe winter weather across CNY puts stress on communities
( Sound of snow being shoveled )
Max Williams: Across central New York, cities and towns have been relentlessly facing heavy snowfall. With many experiencing complete whiteout. As seen in this dashcam footage.
( Sound of rock salt being poured into truck )
Williams: More snow means more rock salt is needed to treat the roads. American rock salt, the main supplier for central New York, was recently forced to cut back on deliveries, stating we have mined and shipped more salt so far this winter than all of last year. This has forced government leaders scrambling looking anywhere for salt.
Carmella Mantello: We have to hide quickly. We’re going to be behind the eight ball. Let’s call the emergency.
Williams: Carmela Mantello, the mayor of the city of Troy, was the first to declare a state of emergency. She says almost all their salt comes from American rock salt.
Mantello: Something broke within this system because you have to be prepared.
Williams: I’m standing on top of multiple pounds of rock salt here in the city of Troy. And while it may look like a mountainous pile, the mayor tells me this may not even be enough to last them through the rest of the winter.
(Sound of volunteers talking in a kitchen )
Williams: Over in Syracuse, the conditions have been so bad it forced meals on wheels. Who provides meals to those who are unable to cook or get food? The stop service for three days.
Mason Kaufman: They didn’t get one for Sunday and then you get one from Monday. That’s concerning.
Leisa Fischer: There’s one house last week that I. I couldn’t deliver to because the ice was built up so much.
Williams: Already 116 total inches of snow have fallen across the region. Breaking the 2019 record at 109 inches.
Ben Lott: Strangely enough, this is actually a normal winter.
Williams: Ben Lott is a Meteorologist for the National Weather Service. He said last winter was nothing compared to this year’s.
Lott: We were kind of under the influence of an El Nino and some other factors, and for that, that usually leads to like a warmer winter season.
Williams: Tonight, the reason behind the rock salt shortage remains unknown. NCC News was told by American rock salt that they are continuing to investigate what exactly went wrong. In Syracuse, Max Williams, NCC News.
SYRACUSE, N.Y. (NCC News) – The Central New York region has experienced severe winter weather throughout February, with snowfall totals already surpassing the seasonal average. The region has recorded 116 inches of snow so far, breaking the previous record of 109 inches set in 2019.
Despite the increase in snowfall, the National Weather Service said this winter has been typical for Central New York. The difference, meteorologists say, is that last winter was influenced by El Nino, a weather pattern that “can cause wetter conditions in the southern U.S. and warmer, drier conditions in the North,” according to the National Weather Service.
With heavier snowfall comes a greater demand for rock salt to treat icy roads. American Rock Salt, the region’s primary supplier, has struggled to meet demand due to a shortage.
“We have mined and shipped more salt so far this winter than all of last year,” a company spokesperson said.
The shortage has left cities and towns across Central New York scrambling to find salt. Troy Mayor Carmella Mantello was the first to declare a state of emergency after the city’s salt deliveries failed to arrive.
“We have to act quickly. We’re going to be behind the eight ball. Let’s call the emergency,” Mantello said. “Something broke within this system because you have to be prepared for rock salt.”
In Syracuse, snowy conditions have been so severe that Meals on Wheels, a service that delivers food to residents who are unable to cook or shop for groceries, has struggled to operate.
Mason Kaufman, executive director of Meals on Wheels of Syracuse, said they were forced to close for three days due to unsafe roads.
“They didn’t get one (a meal) for Sunday and then didn’t get one for Monday. That’s a concern,” Kaufman said.
Leisa Fischer, a Meals on Wheels driver, said many of her customers are elderly and unable to clear their driveways, making deliveries difficult.
“There’s one house last week that I couldn’t deliver to because the ice was built up so much,” Fischer said.
It remains unclear what caused the rock salt shortage. NCC News reached out to American Rock Salt for further comment, but the company declined the request.