Residents Exhausted By Unrelenting Winter Weather
PATERSON, N.J.(CBSNewYork) -- Another winter storm rolled into the area Saturday as winter weary residents continued to dig out from the last blast of snow.
A winter weather advisory was in effect through midnight for parts of Connecticut, and eastern Long Island. A winter storm warning was in effect through midnight for the east end of Suffolk County.
Winter weather advisories for New York City, Hudson Valley and parts of New Jersey had expired early as the storm moved out of the area faster than anticipated.
Between 2 and 4 inches of snow was expected to fall across most of the area but Central Park only saw about an inch and a half.
Parts of Long Island and Connecticut were forecasted to get as much as 6 inches of snow.
According to CBS 2's Elise Finch, New York City is less then 5 inches of snow away from cracking the top five of snowiest winters on record.
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As CBS 2's Hazel Sanchez reported, snow plows in Suffolk County were out in full force Saturday.
Even with the plows doing their best to stay ahead of yet another storm, residents said roads were slushy, making driving a challenge.
"It's scary I guess. You always have to be careful. I think we're really earning the spring though. So I'm looking forward to that," Kings Park resident Mike Lumpp told Sanchez.
In College Point, Queens residents said they haven't seen a snow plow since January.
Neighbors claim they've had to shovel the street themselves and that the city hasn't responded to their calls for help.
"We can't get down and up the block. My kids can't walk across the street to their friend's house. We can't do anything," said Juliana Sacco.
"I can't get out of my driveway. I missed two days of work because the street wasn't plowed. Snowstorm, after snowstorm the neighbors are doing the streets and 311 doesn't want to do anything about it," another resident told Sanchez.
Residents across the Tri-State have had just about enough of Mother Nature this winter.
"It's Mother Nature and we've never seen anything like this before," Paterson resident Grant Carter told CBS 2's Janelle Burrell.
Carter was snow weary and exhausted from what he called a perpetual dig-out. On Saturday he was still working to clear his two cars from the last storm.
His street in Paterson is typically a two-way road but it looks more like a one-way with snow mounds and packed ice making it tricky to navigate.
The weight of the recent snow and ice has also caused major problems for businesses and homeowners alike.
"It's busy. We're getting calls all the time," Lester Waxman, owner, Classic Remodeling Corp., said.
Roofers have been putting their rakes and brooms to work in an attempt to clear it all and prevent roofs from crashing down.
But it was already too late for many structures across the region.
As CBS 2's Don Champion reported, it was a close call when the bricks from a building on Garden Street in Passaic, N.J. began crashing down on the sidewalk below around 2 p.m. on Saturday.
The building was vacant at the time of the partial collapse. Now, crews worry the facade of the building may collapse as well.
A Target store in Riverdale, N.J. closed early Saturday over growing fears of too much snow on the roof.
A salt shed in Suffolk County also collapsed under the pressure of too much snow this week.
"One of the workers actually started to hear the wooden roof trusses give way, put the truck into gear, and get away as the roof came down behind him," Brookhaven Superintendent of Highways, Daniel Losquadro said.
Earlier in the week, part of a Verizon service building in Jersey City collapsed and swallowed a dozen cars.
In South Richmond Hill, Queens a car became trapped beneath debris in a home garage and in Waldwick, N.J. an athletic dome for kids' sports deflated under the soaking snow and ice.
"The roof is filled with snow and the gutters become frozen. Water is backing up. It's backing into rooms in the house and causing problems," Waxman said.
Walking around has been no picnic either. Navigating snow piles and massive slush puddles has turned into an Olympic feat, and frustrated drivers are ready for spring.
"It's really bad," Carter said,"The first I've ever seen Paterson like this."
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