More than 35 deaths were reported in the greater Buffalo area following one of the deadliest winter storms to ever hit the region. The storm initially hit Buffalo as heavy rainfall on December 23. Soon after, Arctic air turned the rain into intense snowfall that combined with hurricane-force winds to leave parts of the city covered under several feet of snow. The storm was part of a weather system that caused advisories across more than half of the country.
Conditions forced grocery stores across Buffalo to shut down for several days. Stores that quickly reopened were understaffed and overwhelmed by demand. Additionally, impassable roads and driving bans hampered food delivery—trucks were unable to enter the city.
WCK’s Relief Team mobilized quickly and worked alongside Chef Darian Bryan—a local Chef Corps member—to ensure warm meals reached families in impacted neighborhoods. Chef Darian also answered the call to support his neighbors during WCK’s response to the deadly, racially-motivated shooting at Tops Market in May 2022.