Snow-pummeled Buffalo, New York, is now preparing for disastrous flooding

Being buried under 7 feet of snow was bad enough for Buffalo, New York, but warmer weather and rain coming through is expected to bring its own problem: 7 feet of melted snow flooding the city. "Maybe we get lucky, and Mother Nature says enough is enough," Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D-N.Y.) said Sunday, but with temperatures forecast to hit 60 in the area on Monday, "we are prepared for the worst."

The National Guard has been shoveling the city out from its snowy blanket, and New York State has almost 200,000 sandbags, pumps, and boats at the ready. But New York has also set up shelters for people in flood-prone areas in and around Buffalo. Cuomo urged people whose homes might be flooded to "err on the side of caution." --Peter Weber

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Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.