Rock Radio Scrapbook

FROM THE ARCHIVES

Subject: THE BLIZZARD OF '77
Station: WKBW Buffalo, N.Y.
Date: January 29, 1977
Time: 22:48

It was the first snowstorm to warrant a U.S. federal disaster area declaration. Twenty-nine people died and total damage was estimated at $300 million in what became known as the Blizzard of '77.

The winter of 1976-77 had already been a bad one for Buffalo. Lake Erie froze over on December 14, 1976, an early record. Snow depth in Buffalo was 30 to 35 inches and snow plowing was well behind. At one point, it had already snowed for 28 consecutive days and Buffalo was in the midst of its coldest January ever.

The morning of January 28 started innocently enough, with what seemed to be just another snow flurry. But things got worse in a hurry. There was little time to react as whiteout conditions stranded thousands at work, in homes and in cars. The storm raged for four days as drifts reached 30 feet and the wind-chill dipped to a numbing sixty below zero.

Local media responded quickly and responsibly to the disaster, with round-the-clock coverage on many of the radio and TV outlets. One station that performed admirably was WKBW, as we hear on this aircheck with morning man Dan Neaverth and newscaster Henry Brach.

Hear it here.

(The Nick Seneca Collection)

*Thanks for Nick for giving us special permission to use this aircheck, which is on his web site.

More 1977 airchecks here!

RETURN TO ROCK RADIO SCRAPBOOK