The author explores “Thunder Snow of Buffalo”
Mon. January 31, 2022 10:10 a.m.
Former Buffalo Bills executive Don Purdy recounts the storm that left the city – and his NFL team – in the dark
October is generally a temperate fall month in Buffalo. In October 2006, however, Buffalo was hit by a surprise storm that rocked the city.
In “Thunder Snow of Buffalo: The October Surprise Storm”, Don Purdy, former director of football for the Buffalo Bills, teamed up with licensed mental health clinician Billy Klun to provide a book about the famous surprise snowstorm that toppled trees and power lines everywhere. the city, leaving myriad residents without power for days.
With a foreword by National Football League (Hall of Fame Coach Marv Levy and input from Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown, Purdy explains how the destructive storm affected him and his family, his community, the NFL and the Buffalo Landscape Detailed contributions from leading meteorologists on Buffalo’s three major television networks explain how the “Storm of the Century” really was.
“Working for the NFL at the time, we weren’t prepared for a crisis of this magnitude,” Purdy said. “More than 30 players, coaches and staff had to leave their families, without power or heat, to travel to Detroit for a regular season game.”
These players, coaches, and staff tell their own memories, as well as never-before-seen insights into the inner workings of the NFL and the Buffalo Bills organization.
A press release noted, “Their quick thinking and innovative operational adjustments helped the team weather the epic storm, as the entire city and region of Western New York grappled with the crushing aftermath. The city’s recovery efforts were boosted by volunteers who were determined to replant the more than 55,000 lost trees and give the carcasses of downed trees a proud second life – “Buffalo style”. ”
Klun said, “It’s a unique mix of weather, history and professional sports. It’s a keepsake for the people who lived through it, as well as a glimpse into how an NFL team handled an epic crisis.
“Thunder Snow of Buffalo” is available through Archway Publishing, Amazon, and Barnes & Noble. To learn more, visit https://www.archwaypublishing.com/en/bookstore/bookdetails/824819-thunder-snow-of-buffalo.
Purdy was an executive with the Buffalo Bills for 27 years, his last role being as director of football administration. He saw the Bills through four Super Bowl appearances and managed a $20 million annual budget, expenses, and workers’ compensation cases for the team. He is currently a Senior Advisor for MVProspects, serving as the primary contact for the NFL and other professional sports franchises. He serves on the President’s Advisory Council of Houghton College, his alma mater. Purdy lives in West Seneca with his wife of 31 years, Amy. They have two daughters, Anna (McTigue) and Claire.
Klun is an LMHC specializing in addictions, geriatrics, and personality disorders, practicing at Column Health and Renz Counseling outside of Boston. After earning her degrees in psychology and English at the State University of New York at Buffalo, Klun earned a master’s degree in mental health counseling at Boston College Lynch School of Education, as well as a second master’s degree at the University of Massachusetts Boston (Management of Aging Services). He enjoys genealogy and spending time on the Gulf Coast of Florida with his dog, Alfred.
