By Matthew Liptak

West side residents and  Buffalo State College students responded to the needs of their neighbors within a few hours after the disastrous snowstorm of October 13, 2006, but the U.S.  agency that has responsibility for emergencies did not get its Disaster Recover Centers set up in the city until November.

Restauranteur Albert Hanna was woken up at his house the morning of the snowstorm.            

Some of the regular patrons of Albert’s–Hanna’s West Side eatery wanted a warm place to rest in the aftermath of the storm. They were also looking for a hot meal.

"I didn’t have the intention to open because I’m all alone," Hanna said Oct. 14 "I came in here to check my business and here I am."

Hanna bustled around Albert’s and worked hard to serve 15 patrons who had come in from the cold. He said he usually had the help of his wife. That morning though, he was working by himself and couldn’t contact his wife because the phone was out.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency is charged with " leading the effort to prepare the nation for all hazards and effectively manage federal response and recovery efforts following any national incident," according to its Web site. But, according to agency press releases, its main accomplishment two days after the storm was to send 50 generator packages to Cheektowaga. A full week later they had been successful in sending 100 more generator kits to the area, and a total of 11 FEMA workers.

At the same time Hanna was keeping his neighbors’ stomachs full, students from Buffalo State College were pitching in to clean up their campus. The college, with over 11, 000 students, suffered heavy tree damage and deep snow drifts. The college planned to remain open throughout the emergency and needed extra manpower to make that possible.

"They’ve(students) given us good co-operation,"said Robert Palmer, a custodial maintenance employee with BSC’s Residence Life office "They don’t mind making extra money."           

On Nov. 3, almost a month after the storm, FEMA announced that it had opened two Disaster Recovery Centers in Buffalo. Workers there were available to answer questions and provide recovery information the release said. FEMA also initiated the Project Impact Community program that includes Buffalo. The stated goal of is Project Impact "help communities protect themselves from the devastating effects of natural disasters by taking actions that dramatically reduce disruption and loss." As of mid-November  the project’s website was last updated in 2001, and remained under construction.

Meanwhile,  Hanna continues to serve his West Side customers with a reserved resolve. He moved to Buffalo from Lebanon 20 years ago and earned a degree in economics from SUNY Buffalo he said. He grumbled that opening the restaurant was the worst business decision he has made. But on further reflection he revealed his passion for the West Side and running the restaurant .

"I believe in God. You gotta take the good with the bad," Hanna said "I love my job. You have to love what your doing."           

His devotion did not go unnoticed during the disaster.           

"We’re all friends. It’s a good community, " said customer Danny Pittman of Buffalo "We’re tight. We stick together. Albert’s the best. He’d help anybody and he’d be there for anybody."