Dutchess and Rensselaer counties will contribute personnel and equipment to Buffalo as part of a state Office of Emergency Management-coordinated effort to respond to a Christmas weekend blizzard that incapacitated parts of the city and led to the deaths of at least 31 Erie County residents.

Eight Dutchess County crew members, a front-end loader and dump trucks departed Poughkeepsie Tuesday morning, and will meet with other crews from around the state Wednesday morning at SUNY Buffalo State College to start work, Dutchess County Executive Marc Molinaro said Tuesday in a statement.

The team will help cut paths through unplowed streets to open access for utility restoration crews and emergency service providers, Molinaro said. They will return on Saturday.

The Dutchess County Medical Examiners’ Office is also coordinating an assistance response with the city and Erie County.

Also, Rensselaer County on Tuesday announced it was sending eight dump trucks to the Buffalo area on Wednesday morning to assist with disaster response.

The county Health Department will sending two teams to assist local health and law enforcement units during search and recovery operations, Rensselaer County Executive Steve McLaughlin said Tuesday.

Albany County announced Monday it was sending personnel and several large plow trucks to Western New York as part of the effort.

President Joe Biden on Monday night declared a federal emergency in response to the storm, clearing the way for federal assistance.