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Town of Orangeville prepares to respond to severe winter storm event

December 22, 2022   ·   0 Comments

Environment Canada has issued a weather advisory for a severe winter storm beginning on Thursday, December 22 and lasting into the holiday weekend. The storm could include a mix of freezing rain, snow, and high winds. The Town of Orangeville is reminding residents to please keep an eye on the weather and be prepared for potential utility outages.

Town of Orangeville Response

Orangeville’s winter maintenance teams have a two-tiered plan for tackling winter weather, broken into preparedness and responsiveness.

The Town has a full roster of snowplows ready to sand and salt roads ahead of any significant freezing rain or flash flooding. This helps keep the roads safer if the weather event occurs and also helps the snow clear more easily following accumulation.

Once the snow starts falling, the Town follows a pre-planned route, beginning with main roads such as Highway 10, Broadway and Town Line as those roads see the most amount of traffic. Once the main roads are plowed, we then move on to residential streets. Sidewalk plows are out daily, starting early in the morning plowing sidewalks.

Here are a few things residents can do in preparation:

• Move cars off streets during the day. While the winter parking bylaw only restricts parking entirely during the hours of 2 and 7 a.m., vehicles parked on the road during significant events could be ticketed for preventing a plow from getting by.
• Keep your driveways and pathways safe but remember to follow responsible and safe salting guidelines. Shovel and clear snow as soon as possible to prevent ice buildup, apply salt on icy areas only, and don’t oversalt.
• Remove any garbage bins, children’s toys/nets or debris off the streets so the plow can make its way down the streets safely. If you have a garbage pick-up, bins can be left at the end of the driveway.
• Prepare to remove any leftover windrows from the end of your drive after the plows have been through.

Being Prepared for Storms

Residents should be prepared that the storm may cause icy and snowy roads making traffic challenging. Ahead of the holidays, we’re encouraging residents to be prepared and if possible, avoid travelling during the peak of the storm.

If you must travel, remember to take extra precautions:

• Clear all snow and ice from your vehicle before driving.
• Drive according to weather conditions – go slow when necessary.
• Prior to the storm, make sure windshield wiper fluid is full.
• Keep extra blankets, non-perishable ready-to-eat foods, and extra water on hand.
• Make sure to have emergency road assistance numbers easily accessible in case your ve
• hicle gets stuck in the snow or ice.

Prepare in advance at home, as there may be power outages and travelling on roads during the storm is not recommended. Here are a few things to keep in mind:

• Have an emergency kit on hand with first aid supplies, flashlights, and additional blankets.
• Stock up on essentials today if possible, such as foods that are ready to eat and do not require cooking or being refrigerated and any medication or essential items.
• Make sure all cell phones are fully charged and charge regularly as the storm progresses.
• For more emergency preparedness tips for power outages, please check out the Safety Preparedness Tips from Orangeville Hydro.

Stay Informed From Official Sources

The Town of Orangeville may declare a Significant Weather Event, which means that snow plowing may take longer. If this is declared, information will be posted at Orangeville.ca/news

There are many ways to keep up to date on how the Town and the local utility partners are responding to the storm:

• On our website via orangeville.ca/snow
• Follow our updates on Twitter and Facebook
• Follow @OvilleHydro on Twitter for Orangeville Hydro outage updates
• If you experience an emergency such as such as a flooded basement, blocked sewer drains, or downed trees or traffic lights, please call 519-941-0440 and press 3 to speak to an after-hours dispatcher

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