chuck
12-14-2010, 03:39 PM
c/p from the canadian press
Storm strands 300 people on Ontario highway
SARNIA, Ont. - Hundreds of people spent a cold night huddled in vehicles awaiting rescue along a snow-clogged stretch of highway in southwestern Ontario.
Police in Sarnia, Ont., said drifting snow and zero visibility had trapped about 300 people in some 360 vehicles since Monday on Highway 402 between Sarnia and County Road 22, about 30 kilometres east of the city.
Provincial Police Const. Chrystal Jones told The Canadian Press early Tuesday there had been no let-up in the poor weather that began sweeping across the area on Monday.
"It has not changed -- the conditions are still very poor to no visibility. We have snowing and blowing snow -- the 402 is still closed," she said.
Emergency Management Ontario had issued a Red Alert late Monday for the area because of the snow and lack of visibility.
Lambton County Warden Steve Arnold made the emergency declaration at 9:45 p.m. EST Monday so they could get some assistance from Ottawa.
Tuesday morning Canadian Forces personnel had arrived in the area and helicopters were being sent from nearby London, Ont. to assess conditions for rescue, CBC reported.
Meanwhile, Jones said police on snowmobiles had been going up and down the snow-blocked highway throughout the night checking on people and ferrying some to emergency shelters.
But Jones said only a handful of people had been removed on snowmobiles by early Tuesday. The number "wouldn’t be significant at all," she said.
Jones said officers on the snowmobiles would continue checking on people and plans were being formed "to bring food, water and hopefully fuel to some of these folks."
"We are doing our best to get to anybody who is in need of our assistance."
Some people caught by the storm have taken refuge at a Tim Hortons doughnut shop east of Sarnia and just south of the blocked highway.
Day manager Jody Mattson said some people who arrived at the shop early Monday were still there as of 4 a.m. Tuesday.
"We’ve had people from seven o’clock yesterday morning -- they’re still the same people," she told The Canadian Press in a telephone interview.
Mattson said a couple of buses had arrived to take people into a nearby town since Monday, but about 40 people had remained in the store.
She said they are all "holding up fine" and being fed by staff who were also stranded by the powerful storm.
"They’re good - we’ve been giving them coffee and feeding them doughnuts."
Mattson added that she expected to remain stranded for several more hours and that police had asked them to “hold tough” until the situation is resolved.
"It’s really blowing still -- the drifts are big and nobody could drive in the parking lot."
Motorists were encouraged to tune into local radio station CHOK AM1070, FM 106.3 or FM 99.9 to get the latest rescue updates.
Motorists were also encouraged to stay in their vehicles and consider pooling resources until rescuers get to them. Police also say they should also make sure their vehicle exhaust is clear of snow.
The EMO recommended that people from Lake Huron to the north, Highway 401 to the south, Sarnia to the west, and London to the east avoid all unnecessary travel.
Storm strands 300 people on Ontario highway
SARNIA, Ont. - Hundreds of people spent a cold night huddled in vehicles awaiting rescue along a snow-clogged stretch of highway in southwestern Ontario.
Police in Sarnia, Ont., said drifting snow and zero visibility had trapped about 300 people in some 360 vehicles since Monday on Highway 402 between Sarnia and County Road 22, about 30 kilometres east of the city.
Provincial Police Const. Chrystal Jones told The Canadian Press early Tuesday there had been no let-up in the poor weather that began sweeping across the area on Monday.
"It has not changed -- the conditions are still very poor to no visibility. We have snowing and blowing snow -- the 402 is still closed," she said.
Emergency Management Ontario had issued a Red Alert late Monday for the area because of the snow and lack of visibility.
Lambton County Warden Steve Arnold made the emergency declaration at 9:45 p.m. EST Monday so they could get some assistance from Ottawa.
Tuesday morning Canadian Forces personnel had arrived in the area and helicopters were being sent from nearby London, Ont. to assess conditions for rescue, CBC reported.
Meanwhile, Jones said police on snowmobiles had been going up and down the snow-blocked highway throughout the night checking on people and ferrying some to emergency shelters.
But Jones said only a handful of people had been removed on snowmobiles by early Tuesday. The number "wouldn’t be significant at all," she said.
Jones said officers on the snowmobiles would continue checking on people and plans were being formed "to bring food, water and hopefully fuel to some of these folks."
"We are doing our best to get to anybody who is in need of our assistance."
Some people caught by the storm have taken refuge at a Tim Hortons doughnut shop east of Sarnia and just south of the blocked highway.
Day manager Jody Mattson said some people who arrived at the shop early Monday were still there as of 4 a.m. Tuesday.
"We’ve had people from seven o’clock yesterday morning -- they’re still the same people," she told The Canadian Press in a telephone interview.
Mattson said a couple of buses had arrived to take people into a nearby town since Monday, but about 40 people had remained in the store.
She said they are all "holding up fine" and being fed by staff who were also stranded by the powerful storm.
"They’re good - we’ve been giving them coffee and feeding them doughnuts."
Mattson added that she expected to remain stranded for several more hours and that police had asked them to “hold tough” until the situation is resolved.
"It’s really blowing still -- the drifts are big and nobody could drive in the parking lot."
Motorists were encouraged to tune into local radio station CHOK AM1070, FM 106.3 or FM 99.9 to get the latest rescue updates.
Motorists were also encouraged to stay in their vehicles and consider pooling resources until rescuers get to them. Police also say they should also make sure their vehicle exhaust is clear of snow.
The EMO recommended that people from Lake Huron to the north, Highway 401 to the south, Sarnia to the west, and London to the east avoid all unnecessary travel.