What’s New: In Brief (December 11, 2009)

A severe winter storm in central Ontario has prompted CAA to warn motorists to stay off of the roads in that area.
Eighty centimetres of snow is expected to fall throughout Dec. 11 in the Huntsville and Bracebridge areas, Environment Canada warns.
“People are saying it’s the worst weather they’ve seen in a decade,” said Jason Ballantyne, manager of communications for CAA South Central Ontario.
CAA is servicing priority calls on highways before members who are at home in their driveways, due to safety issues. As of 11 a.m. on Dec. 11, wait times in the Bracebridge and Huntsville areas were two to three hours for those stuck at home.
The storm system prompted Huntsville’s mayor to declare a snow emergency.

 Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC) is reminding British Columbia residents to take precautions to protect their homes from possible severe weather conditions such as snow, rain, ice and wind.
IBC offers the following tips to minimize the risk of overland flooding after heavy snowfall followed by warm temperatures:
–    check property for obstructions that could prevent melting snow from draining away from the house;
–    check catch basins on the street to make sure they are not obstructed;
–    shovel snow away from the house, especially basement windows; and
–    ensure roof gutters, downspouts and drainage systems are clear.