After warm temperatures and sunny skys earlier last week, Saturday began as bad April Fools joke by mother nature.

It began to snow just after 2 p.m. on Saturday and continued for over 24 hours in and around Erie County.  The official total is 11.5" of snow, that was recorded at Erie International Airport, but the snowfall amounts were much greater to the south and east in the snow belt region some area's getting close to 36".

There were shelters open in Edinboro, North East, the City of Erie, due to large area power outages, as well as stranded motorists on Interstates 79, 86 & 90.  All three interstates were closed for several hours because of the mass amount of stranded vehicles and accidents.  Fire crews, State Police as well as area snowmobile Emergency groups worked to rescue those stranded and move them to waiting buses off the interstate and then to shelters.  Some parts of the Interstates were still closed as of early Monday morning while crews looked for those still stranded.  A fire/rescue crew from Greenfield was searching for a female that was unsure of her location along interstate 86, as well as a male who was attempting to get to an Erie hospital for Monday morning cardiac surgery, they had both been in their vehicles for several hours.

Kuhl Hose responded to 11 emergencies in a 12 hour period on Sunday.  Most of the responses were Good Intent / Service calls ranging from trees and wires down, Fire Police assisting with traffic, to assistance with starting a portable generator and checking a sump pump.  During the day Greene Township EMA assisted, as well as the Erie County EOC being open.   

Kuhl Hose EMS units were sent to two calls.  The first call was for an ill patient.  On arrival crews found an elderly gentleman who was threatening suicide if crews did not get him out of his house.  He had been without power and heat for over 12 hours.  A 6 person crew carried the elderly man to the waiting 4 wheel drive mini pumper that then took him to the waiting ambulance.  The second EMS call was for a fall victim.  Personnel in 4 wheel drive vehicles made access to the residence, which was approx 200 yards off the road.  Crews had to shovel a 50 yard long path from the driveway to the residence to extricate the patient.  The initial responding ambulance was stopped due to snow conditions and was unable to make it to the residence.   EMT's on the scene splinted the patients leg and ankle and carried her to a waiting truck and then drove her to the waiting ambulance approx 5 miles away at the closest main road.

The last call of the day was for a Structure fire with entrapment.  The caller was in the residence and stated that a tree had fallen, ripping wires from his residence and there was a fire and he was unable to get out of the residence.  The caller was not specific about any conditions before the call was lost and the dispatch center was unable to make contact with him again.  Kuhl Hose along with Perry Hiway Hose, Waterford, Belle Valley, McKean fire departments as well as Millcreek Paramedics responded.  On arrival, Chief 680 found a large wood frame farm house, nothing visible, from the road but unable to access the residence due to the amount of snow in the driveway.  Crews from Kuhl Hose and Perry Hiway walked through the snow to the residence and found no fire.  There was no electrical service to the residence due to the tree taking out power lines, there was no fire and crews were on scene for under 30 minutes.

As of 3 p.m. Monday there are still residences and business' without power including Kuhl Hose Station #3.  Penelec is working to fix the problems.  The concern for Monday and into Tuesday is flooding because of increasing temperatures and the large amount of snowfall over the last two days.

Pictures from road and access compromise

Rescue of man from residence and waiting ambulance.....                      
Around 6 p.m. the storm finally broke and the last few minutes of sun...