Western New York residents face rain, flooding amid threats of roof collapse

Buffalo (New York): A snowfall that brought huge drifts and closed roads in the Buffalo area finally ended Friday, yet residents still couldn't breathe easy, as the looming threat of rain and higher temperatures through the weekend and beyond raised the possibility of floods and more roofs collapsing under the heavy loads.

More than 30 major roof collapses, most involving farm and flat-roof buildings, were reported overnight, officials said Friday, after snow Thursday brought the Buffalo area's three-day total to an epic 7 feet (2.1 meters) or more.

The forecast called for a chance of rain on Saturday and more through Monday, along with temperatures of about 60 degrees (16 Celsius).

The National Weather Service issued a flood watch for Sunday through Wednesday, and meteorologist Jon Hitchcock said there might be trouble with drainage as snow and the uncollected autumn leaves underneath blocked catch basins.

As towns and villages began preparing for potential flooding, stir-crazy homeowners - some stuck inside since Tuesday - and store employees around the region climbed onto roofs to shovel off the snow and reduce the danger of collapse.

The storms were blamed for at least 12 deaths in western New York, mostly from exposure and heart attacks, including several people who were shoveling snow. The latest was a 50-year-old man found Friday morning in his car, which was buried in snow, police said. The cause of death wasn't immediately known.

One elderly resident of a nursing home died after it was evacuated amid concerns of a roof collapse, a spokeswoman for the home said. Deputy Erie County Executive Richard Tobe had earlier reported two deaths in the evacuation.

Things could quickly get worse for the region on Lake Erie: rain and warmer temperatures were forecast over the weekend, raising the specter of flooding and an even heavier load on roofs.