Emergency Preparedness in Manitoba

In the province of Manitoba, one of the most common natural disasters–along with severe storms–is the great tornado.

Read on for some tornado facts and tips!

Have an emergency kit, such as our Essential 4 Person Family Survival Kit, on hand, ideally stashed in the most tornado-safe area of your house.
Because Manitoba is–in general–a high risk area for tornadoes, Environment Canada will issue tornado warnings through radio, tv, the internet, phone lines and even newspapers. So, if there’s a storm raging and it’s not letting up, be on the lookout!
Know the safest place in your house! If you have a basement, that’s the best spot. Otherwise, think of a small closet or bathroom that is far away from windows, outside walls, and doors. Definitely make sure you stay on the ground floor, or lower!
It’s also wise to know the safest (lowest) places to go at your workplace, and other places that you frequent.
For more ways to prepare, check out Manitoba’s Preparation Guide, for tornadoes!

Besides getting as close to the ground as possible, when a tornado strikes, watch for falling debris and protect your head! Ideally, you’ll have a basement or storm cellar in your home, or at least a home with a solid foundation.
Know to avoid cars and mobile homes, if at all possible.

Tornadoes can move at up to 70km/hour.
Tornadoes have a huge range of size, from tiny and touching down just here and there, to vast and enormously destructive.
Tornadoes can very easily uproot trees, demolish houses, and flip cars.
The path of a tornado is completely unpredictable and seemingly random.
Canada and the United States get more tornadoes than any other countries in the world.
Tornadoes are most likely to hit in the afternoon or evening.

For some tips about how to deal with other kinds of storms and natural disasters across the Canadian provinces, check out the links below:

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