Norfolk County is expected to experience a winter storm starting on Friday morning, with forecasts calling for as much as 10 to 15 centimeters of snow falling throughout the day.
Norfolk County residents should expect hazardous winter driving conditions and take precautions to stay safe by monitoring the weather conditions and adjusting travel plans accordingly.
Clear sidewalks
The Norfolk County Snow & Ice Removal by-law states that “every owner of a building or lot, whether occupied or not, clear away and remove snow and ice from the sidewalk adjacent to the property by noon each day.” Failing to clear the sidewalk of snow and ice creates the potential for slip and fall incidents and often forces people to walk on the roadway, creating a safety hazard for the community. Residents can do their part by keeping their sidewalks free of snow and ice accumulation.
Winter parking
The Norfolk County Parking by-law states that “no person shall park or stand a vehicle on a highway where ice and snow is being or is expected to be removed.” Norfolk Roads employees work diligently to plow roads during and after snow events, however, plow operators must often work around vehicles parked on area roads. This slows plowing operations, creates the potential for collisions, and can bury vehicles in snow. It can also cause large piles of snow called ‘windrows’ to build up around parked vehicles that can be challenging for residents to shovel. Residents can do their part by parking off the roadway when plowing is expected.
Be prepared
Members of the community can visit Hydro One’s website for information on preparing for storms, how to stay safe during a power outage, and follow alerts for the area on the Environment Canada website.
Public Safety Canada encourages everyone to make an emergency plan and get an emergency kit with drinking water, food, medicine, a first-aid kit, and a flashlight. Information on emergency plans and kits can be found at getprepared.gc.ca.
All updates, including closures and cancellations of County services, will be communicated through Norfolk’s social media channels @NorfolkCountyCA respectively, on Facebook and Twitter.
