How to Prepare for Summer’s Severe Weather: Rain & Flooding

Flooding in Key Haven caused by Hurricane Wilma on 10/24/2005

Whether it’s large-scale weather systems with long-term rainfall or short-lived thunderstorms with a sudden deluge, summer brings the risk of heavy rain and flooding. Just because it’s warm doesn’t mean it’s dry!

In flatter regions such as the Canadian prairies, flooding is especially common. And since the prairies make up so much of our great country, we’ve provided a few tips for heavy rain safety, below:

1. Monitor Environment Canada weather forecast and the provincial government’s flood forecasts and warnings. Check in routinely so that you don’t miss out, and when you hear a warning, pass it along!
2. Know your area and plan out an escape route to higher ground. Make sure your entire household—especially children—know the plan.
3. During heavy rains, avoid roadway underpasses, drainage ditches, low-lying areas and water collection areas.
4. Remember, you can’t tell the condition of a road underwater, so never drive over a flooded road. (See this video to really understand why!)
5. Stay away from power lines or electrical wires during heavy rains and floods.

Flooding is essential to a healthy environment but can be extremely dangerous for us humans if we don’t know how to act in the midst of it.

Check out our products page to find equipment that will help keep you and your home safe, such as our Quick Dam flood bags. And please, take some time to read about the dangers and arm yourself with the knowledge to keep you and your loved ones safe!

For more information on flooding that we’ve talked about previously on our blog, check out this post here!

Article contributed by Sophie Wooding – Avid gardener and cyclist in Victoria, BC and Content Writer for Frontier.io