Winter Storms and Winter Driving

​Winter is around the corner so that means preparing for winter storms and winter driving. 
Severe winter storms/blizzards are events that can affect our communities and can result in school and business closures or early dismissals, unsafe travel conditions, and widespread utility disruptions. Environment Canada tracks weather systems to mitigate potential effects, but winter storms can strike with little notice and can potentially threaten life and property.

• Consider your travel requirements and revise plans to stay off the roads if impassable.
• Check on family members and neighbours for assistance.
• Charge all battery-operated devices such as cell phones, laptops, and radios.
• Consider how you would cope with being home (shelter in place) for 3 days or more, possibly without power, and ensure you have appropriate supplies. Once you know how you and your family could cope and you have the supplies you need, relax in the knowledge that you have done what you can. Settle in to enjoy the storm.
• If you lose power, notify your electric utility provider and practice safety measures:
  • Candles – place them 12-inches away from other items in a sturdy base.
  • Generators – do not bring it indoors and ensure you have good ventilation.
  • Space heaters – select one that shuts off if it tips over. Keep it 3 feet away from other objects and turn it off at night.
• If the power goes out while you are cooking be sure to turn off the stove and clear the burners and oven to prevent a fire when power is restored.
• Clear oil tanks, hot water exhausts, furnace and dryer vents, secondary entrances, and fire hydrants.
• Pack a vehicle emergency kit including shovel, blanket, food, booster cables, and flashlight. 

​If severe winter traps you in your vehicle, remember these tips:

• Pull off the road, turn hazard lights on. Remain in your vehicle, rescuers are most likely to find you there.
• Do not set out on foot unless you can see a building close-by where you can take shelter.
• Conserve fuel. Run the engine and heater about 10 minutes each hour to keep warm, cracking a downwind window slightly to prevent carbon monoxide poisoning.
• Huddle with other passengers and use your coat for a blanket.
• In extreme cold, use road maps, seat covers, floor mats, newspapers or extra clothing for covering--anything to provide additional insulation and warmth.
• Once the severe weather has passed, you may need to leave the car and proceed on foot. Follow the road where possible.