Buffalo Going Back to Normal

My parents got their power back last night after a full week without electricity due to the storm that hit Buffalo last week.  (Snow is common in October there -- I had plenty of Halloweens trudging through snow in my costume -- but this was the worst storm to hit the area that my parents can remember, bar none.)  My parents' house escaped damage because they had no large trees on their property and because they live on slightly higher ground than some of the surrounding area.  Others, however, have had significant damage.  Three hundred thousand people were without power, and hundreds of thousands of trees were felled or split under the snow's weight.  Cars were crushed by falling trees, and roads were impassableMy old elementary school had between six and nine feet of water.  Without power, sump pumps could not move water out of basements, and many homes have between one and three feet of water.  Schools were closed starting the 13th.  They will reopen next week, either on Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesday.

My guess is that there will be plenty of phone calls between Western New Yorkers and real estate agents in Florida and Arizona this winter.  My folks decided some months ago to move to Arizona next year; they're leaving Buffalo with a bang.