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Stunning Drone Footage Shows the Power of Deadly New York Snowstorm

Up to seven feet of snow has fallen in some areas of Western New York, causing a dozen deaths and the collapse of many homes and businesses.
Video Still via James Grimaldi

Thirteen deaths have been tied to the winter storm that dumped up to seven feet of snow on western New York over the past three days. At least 30 buildings in the Buffalo area have collapsed under the weight of all that powder, and Sunday's game between the Buffalo Bills and the New York Jets has been rescheduled for Monday night.

"Tremendous progress has been made in clearing vital roads, with help getting here yesterday and more help on the way," New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said in a statement on Thursday. "With that being said, phase two of the storm is on its way and safety continues to be our top priority. As snow removal efforts continue, we urge people to stay inside and off the roads so that we can get people back to their everyday routines as quickly as possible."

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Video footage from day one of the storm captured by James Grimaldi of West Seneca, New York.

While Governor Cuomo was deploying 150 members of the National Guard, James Grimaldi of West Seneca, New York, was sending a drone into the blizzard, capturing stunning images of the storm and the thick blanket of snow it left in its wake.

Grimaldi's footage from day two of the storm.

Temperatures are expected to top 60 degrees over the weekend, and all that melting snow will turn into the equivalent of six inches of rain, prompting state and local officials to prepare for flood conditions.

Particularly heavy snowfall in the Buffalo area is being pinned to lake-effect snow, which occurs when a cold air front moves over the relatively warm waters of the Great Lakes.

Grimaldi's footage from day three of the storm.

While frigid temperatures continue to grip nearly every state in the country, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said on Thursday that the average temperature over global land and ocean surfaces last month was the highest on record for any October since record keeping began in 1880.

Documenting the vanishing Rio Grande. Read more here.

Follow Robert S. Eshelman on Twitter: @RobertSEshelman