Tornadoes, severe storms, floods, forest fires, blackouts… We’re no strangers to the consequences of a disaster — but many people don’t know how to prepare for them. Whether you’re creating a new emergency preparedness plan, or updating your current one, experts recommend starting with these three steps.
Be informed about the risks
What are you preparing for? That will depend on a number of factors — including any special needs your family has and what disasters could occur in your area. In general, everyone should prepare for some potential disasters that could strike anywhere, like power outages, severe storms, earthquakes, infectious disease outbreaks, wildfires and hazardous materials spills.
Some hazards are specific to certain regions, such as storm surges, hurricanes, avalanches, landslides, floods, tornadoes and even tsunamis. The trick is to know what you could be up against based on where you live.
Where can you find more information? A good place to start is the Government of Canada’s Getprepared.ca website which has a list of hazards by province and links to hazard-specific information sheets. Your province or territory’s government will also have a website dedicated to emergency management and preparedness. Look to your municipality’s website to find out what your community plans to do during a disaster, and what mechanisms it has to alert you.
Why look now? Knowing what disasters to prepare for can help you determine what supplies you should have on hand and what plans you need to make. You can also print off the information sheets and include them with your emergency supplies so you’ll know what to do when the time comes.
Create an emergency plan
Once you know what you’re planning for, it’s time to get down to the details. There are a few contingencies you should plan for, including
1) You have to leave your home suddenly (if there’s a fire, for example).
2) You have to evacuate your neighbourhood (e.g. in the case of a wildfire or flood).
3) You have to stay in your home, potentially without power or access to outside supplies and services (in the event of severe weather or a blackout, for instance).
Experts warn that you should expect to be self-sufficient for at least 72 hours (three days). That’s how long it might take for emergency help to reach you.
So what should your emergency plan include? Experts recommend keeping these steps in mind:
- Identify safe ways to leave your home and your neighbourhood (including back-up plans).
- Decide on a meeting place for members of your household. Choose one in your neighbourhood and one outside of it too.
- Figure out ahead of time how to keep in touch with members of your household, and how to get in touch with family and friends to let them know what’s happening. (Some sources recommend having a contact person who is outside of your area too).
