Ontario Dec 14, 2010 – News – Winter Blizzard strands 300 people in their vehicles overnight.
Local residents take action along with Canadian police and military teams working on Tuesday afternoon to rescue about 300 people stranded after what a local official termed the most brutal storm to hit the Ontario region in 25 years.
Local Mayor declares state of emergency, to get assistance from military teams.
Some people had been stuck in their vehicles for more than 24 hours following blinding snow that piled up so high it made it almost impossible to open vehicle doors.
“You really felt almost despair,” a guy who spent nearly 24 hours stranded before being rescued Tuesday afternoon after he heard a helicopter hovering over his immobilized truck. He had run out of gas and was without anything other than a blanket to help him through the ordeal.
Ontario Provincial Police initially reported about 360 vehicles and about 300 people had been stranded near Sarnia, Ontario, on Highway 402 — a major thoroughfare linking the U.S.-Canada border to London, Ontario.
Live and Learn … Be Prepared … Contact Emergency Preparedness Now … Keeping You Safe
Always keep, the following in your car, if you are travelling outside the city.
– blanket, flashlight, shovel, candle, cup, snacks, emergency kit (towrope, jumpers, etc) and first aid kit