BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — On Thursday night Shenita Bradley went grocery shopping, and when she came home the lights went out in her apartment. As the snow buried her basement apartment, it got as cold as 43 degrees in her home.
"Been a rough long haul," said Bradley who said the snow was up to the top of her front door.
Bradley said she went five days without electricity, and her and her 15-year-old son stayed bundled up.
"We stayed in one room, piled up, blankets," explained Bradley. "Couldn’t do much. We ate what we could that was dried, and things in the freezer I managed to save."
Bradley said she was able to fill a box of frozen food, and throw it outside in the wall of snow outside her door.
"Was like a cave, a tunnel," said Bradley. "I couldn’t get out."
Bradley said her son is on seizure watch, and she was terrified that if there was an emergency they wouldn't get any help.
"He was my main concern," said Bradley.
She even put a red towel over the top edge of the door.
"That was to let them know there’s somebody down here in case we didn’t make it out," said Bradley.
On Wednesday 7 News reporter Michael Schwartz found Bradley after walking through knee-high snow in her parking lot, she was standing in her apartment doorway. He managed to slide down the stairs that was still packed with heavy snow.
She told Schwartz through tears that she was scared, and said she even called 911 on Sunday she was told no one was available.
"She said I'm sorry, right now we don’t have 911 service," explained Bradley.
When the blizzard calmed down Bradley says she called property management, but didn’t get a call back.
"Still for no one to call me, and say 'hey we know you’re down there, we may not have a plan of action to get you out, but they didn’t even bother to call me," said Bradley.
Schwartz called the property management on Wednesday afternoon. A staff member said they had been figuring out a plan to get a plow there after the original contractor didn't show up.
A plowed showed up, but it wasn't able to lift the heavy snow. However two men were sent to shovel out pathways for residents, and by Wednesday night Bradley was able to get up her stairs.