Deadly Western New York Snowstorm to get Second Wind

Western New York state braced for a fresh wave of heavy snow on Wednesday after a freakish storm swept off the Great Lakes and deposited 5 feet (1.5 m) of powder in parts of the region, killing at least six people and stranding motorists overnight.

The fierce autumn storm paused on Wednesday morning around the city of Buffalo, but snow was expected to resume later in the day, said Deputy Erie County Executive Richard Tobe.

The next burst of snow is expected to arrive by nightfall and dump 3 feet (1 m) of snow, he said, adding to accumulations that are remarkable even for western New York, where giant snowfalls and frigid winter weather are the norm.

Five feet of snow is already on the ground in parts of Erie County, which includes the city of Buffalo.

"That's a year's worth of snow," Tobe said, noting a state of emergency remained in effect for the area, where driving was banned on many roads and 140 miles (225 km) of the New York State Thruway along Lake Erie and Lake Ontario were closed.

The storm was all the more unusual because it inundated some areas, with snow falling at a rate of 5 inches (13 cm) per hour, while sprinkling only a few inches in total just several miles away, said National Weather Service meteorologist David Thomas.

Man tries to dig out his driveway on Bowen Road in Lancaster, New York on Nov. 19, 2014. /AP

The disparity is typical of so-called lake effect, which occurs when cold air whips up snow clouds over the relatively warm Great Lakes, drawing in moisture and generating localized snowfalls onshore, Thomas said. The phenomenon can create intense squalls in one area while leaving nearby locations virtually unscathed.

In south Buffalo, snowmobiles were being used to respond to emergency medical calls and rescue stranded motorists while some 5,000 tons of snow was removed from the area, Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown said at a news conference.

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo declared a state of emergency for 10 counties, deploying National Guard troops to help residents.

At least six deaths in the area were linked to the storm, said John Greenan, a spokesman for the Erie County Sheriff's Department. In one case, a 46-year-old man was found in his car buried under about 15 feet (4.6 m) of snow. One person was killed in a traffic accident and three died from heart problems. There were no details about the sixth death.

A 23-year-old man in New Hampshire died in a traffic accident also tied to the storm, state police said.

View the original article here

Jackie Chan leaves imprints in Hollywood for the second time

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Chinese action film star Jackie Chan on Thursday became the first person to twice leave the imprints of his hands and feet in cement at Hollywood's famed Chinese Theatre.

Chan, who has starred in some 150 films in a career spanning more than 40 years, first left imprints in the forecourt of the theater in 1997, adding to the collection that features screen legends from Clark Gable to Marilyn Monroe.

But over the years, as ownership of the theater changed hands, the cement slab featuring Chan's prints was lost. Slabs are changed often to make room for new entries in the collection.

Representatives at the newly named TCL Chinese Theatre confirmed that Chan was the first two-time inductee. They said they did not know when the prints vanished but were sure that the slab was not stolen from the forecourt.

On Thursday Chan left imprints of his hands, feet and nose in cement, accompanied by his "Rush Hour" co-star Chris Tucker and "The Karate Kid" co-star Jaden Smith.

Chan, 59, told a crowd gathered for the occasion that he had always dreamed of having his prints in cement at the theater.

"My first time in the Chinese Theatre, I walked on the red carpet ... and I see that there are so many stars doing the interviews. And at that time I had nothing to do, standing there looking around," he said.

"During all those years I dreamed. Slowly, slowly, I got there," the actor said.

Chan has become one of China's biggest film stars, crossing into Hollywood movies with his Kung Fu fighting skills and ability to do his own action stunts.

(Reporting by Reuters TV; Writing by Piya Sinha-Roy; Editing by Xavier Briand)

View the original article here

Jackie Chan leaves imprints in Hollywood for the second time

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Chinese action film star Jackie Chan on Thursday became the first person to twice leave the imprints of his hands and feet in cement at Hollywood's famed Chinese Theatre.

Chan, who has starred in some 150 films in a career spanning more than 40 years, first left imprints in the forecourt of the theater in 1997, adding to the collection that features screen legends from Clark Gable to Marilyn Monroe.

But over the years, as ownership of the theater changed hands, the cement slab featuring Chan's prints was lost. Slabs are changed often to make room for new entries in the collection.

Representatives at the newly named TCL Chinese Theatre confirmed that Chan was the first two-time inductee. They said they did not know when the prints vanished but were sure that the slab was not stolen from the forecourt.

On Thursday Chan left imprints of his hands, feet and nose in cement, accompanied by his "Rush Hour" co-star Chris Tucker and "The Karate Kid" co-star Jaden Smith.

Chan, 59, told a crowd gathered for the occasion that he had always dreamed of having his prints in cement at the theater.

"My first time in the Chinese Theatre, I walked on the red carpet ... and I see that there are so many stars doing the interviews. And at that time I had nothing to do, standing there looking around," he said.

"During all those years I dreamed. Slowly, slowly, I got there," the actor said.

Chan has become one of China's biggest film stars, crossing into Hollywood movies with his Kung Fu fighting skills and ability to do his own action stunts.

(Reporting by Reuters TV; Writing by Piya Sinha-Roy; Editing by Xavier Briand)

View the original article here