Thank you for participating in our Emergency Preparedness Week Contest. Remember, if you answer all five questions correctly, you will be entered to win an emergency car kit.
Today’s tip: Do you know about Humber’s emergency response procedures for various types of emergencies? Did you know that the Department of Public Safety offers training on various safety procedures including active attacker, general emergency preparedness, de-escalation techniques, RAD Training, etc. Learn about the training sessions offered by Public Safety.
The winner be announced on Monday, May 15, 2023.
Good luck!
Kathy Branton
Manager, Business Continuity & Emergency Management
EP Week Contest Day 4 Answer
The Canadian Armed Forces
Lambton County ON, December 12-14, 2010.
A severe winter storm caused severe road closures including London Line and Highway 402 in Lambton County. A county emergency was declared on December 13. The next day on December 14, a snow streamer accompanied by heavy winds swept through the region creating a hazard for drivers on the road. In total, there were approximately over 625 people stranded on area roads who had to be rescued and taken to warming centres.
The “lake effect”—a climate phenomenon that can generate narrow bands of intense snow—can cause visibility to go from clear to zero in seconds, wreaking havoc of biblical proportions along a 30-kilometre stretch of the highway. Two hundred tractor-trailers and more than a hundred cars were stuck in deep snow, prompting Lambton County officials to declare a state of emergency.
The majority of stranded drivers were trapped in their vehicles for up to six hours meaning that many people were forced to spend the night in their vehicles. Other travelers were rescued from their buried cars, having gone without food, medication or warm clothing for 48 hours. Others sought shelter along the highway, where local homeowners didn’t hesitate to welcome strangers in need.
The Canadian Armed Forces used two Griffin helicopters to assist the Ontario Provincial Police in rescuing 237 motorists stranded in their vehicles along Highway 402. One officer received a minor injury while trying to reach stranded motorists and one man was found dead from exposure to the elements.