Preparing your home before an emergency can reduce damage, improve safety and resilience, and make it easier for your household to cope during and after a disaster. While every hazard presents different risks, many preparedness measures can be completed well in advance, while others should be taken only when severe weather or another emergency is expected. The following guidelines include essential all-hazard recommendations for every home, along with hazard-specific actions to help you prepare for earthquakes, extreme heat, wildfires, winter storms, flooding, hurricanes, and other emergencies.
All-Hazard Guidelines
- Ensure all members of your household know where your emergency supplies are stored.
- Install smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors on every floor of your home. Test them every 6 months and replace batteries as needed.
- Keep fire extinguishers on each level of your home and know how to use them.
- Clearly label your main electrical panel, water shutoff, and gas shutoff.
- Trim tree branches on your property that overhang utility lines.
- Know how to manually operate your garage door if the power fails.
- Have at least one backup power source, such as a pre-charged or solar power bank, or a generator.
- If using a generator, never operate it indoors or near doors or windows because of the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning.
Hazard-Specific Guidelines
For seasonal and weather-related emergencies, we’ve included both Pre-Season and Pre-Event guidelines.
Pre-Season tasks may be larger home projects or suggestions for supplies to invest in so that your house is structurally prepared for the emergency. These tasks can be undertaken practically any time of year.
Pre-Event tasks are last-minute, actionable items that should be completed in the 12 to 48 hours before a predicted or possible event, such as when relevant extreme weather is forecast or you receive an emergency alert. These measures should be maintained throughout the incident.
Earthquakes
- Fasten all tall or heavy furniture and appliances to wall studs, and store heavy items on lower shelves.
- Securely attach all hanging mirrors, picture frames, and mounted TVs to the wall.
- Apply safety film to windows to reduce glass shattering.
- Place beds and couches away from windows.
- Learn how to turn off your electrical panel, water, and gas valves.
Extreme Heat
Pre-Season
- Invest in a window air conditioner or heat pump.
- Install at least one wall-mounted thermometer on each floor of the house. Indoor temperatures can start posing a risk to health above 26°C.
Pre-Event
- Keep curtains closed on the sunny side of your house. The thicker the curtain, the more heat protection it will provide.
- Use fans to move air around your house. Fans alone are not enough to cool ambient temperatures, but they can be used to circulate cooler air.
Wildfires and Heavy Smoke
Pre-Season
- Prepare your home and property by completing the assessment at FireSmart Canada.
- Consider investing in a home air filter and store extra replacement filters.
Pre-Event
- Move combustible items such as barbecues, lawn furniture, and firewood away from your home.
- Keep doors, windows, vents, and other openings closed at all times.
- Avoid using heat-producing appliances between 11 a.m. and 7 p.m., such as your oven and dryer.
Extreme Cold and Winter Storms
Including winter power outages.
Pre-Season
- Insulate walls, attics, and pipes.
- Install weather stripping along doors and windows to prevent drafts.
- If you have a fireplace or furnace, have it inspected by a licensed contractor each fall.
- Keep shovels and road salt handy.
Pre-Event
- Shut off water flow to exterior faucets.
- Conserve heat by relocating your family to a central room or area of your house and closing the doors of all unused rooms.
- Allow a small trickle of water to run continuously from an indoor tap to keep water moving through your pipes and help prevent freezing.
Flooding
Pre-Season
- Clean gutters and storm drains regularly.
- Store important documents and valuables in waterproof containers on shelving or an upper floor.
- Raise large appliances and electronics off the ground onto blocks or wall mounts.
- Consider installing a sump pump, backflow valves, and flood-resistant exterior doors.
- Store sandbags and learn how to use them.
Pre-Event
- Shut off electricity to any areas of your home that may be at risk of flooding.
- Move belongings out of these areas and onto upper floors.
Hurricanes
Pre-Season
- Follow the same tasks outlined for preparing for flooding.
- Invest in storm shutters for your windows and glass doors, and install tracks if applicable.
Pre-Event
- Put up your storm shutters.
- Secure any outdoor items that may blow around, such as lawn furniture, garbage cans, or barbecues.
Keeping your home prepared for emergencies is an ongoing process, not a one-time task. By completing these improvements before they’re needed and performing the recommended actions when a hazard is imminent, you can reduce the risk of injury, minimize property damage, and improve your household’s ability to respond and recover when disaster strikes.