Updated December 26 at 2:15 p.m.
At 2 p.m. on Monday, the Municipality of Chatham-Kent announced the state of emergency declared by Mayor Darrin Canniff on December 24 had been lifted.
"Most rural roads and major arterial routes in the community have been cleared although secondary residential streets in urban areas could take 24 to 48 hours to clear," said a release from the municipality.
A state of emergency was declared on Saturday morning after a severe winter storm ripped through the region. Hundreds of people were stranded by crashes and road closures on Friday, and the municipality took the rare step asking residents to accommodate stranded travellers for the night.
Members of the public, municipal workers, and first responders have been thanked for their response efforts which included setting up emergency shelters, rescuing stranded motorists, clearing roads, providing medical aid, and more.
The municipal street parking ban remains in effect until 2 p.m. on Tuesday, December 27 so snow plows can clear the roads more effectively.