From devastating wildfires to major flooding and tornados, Canada has experienced many extreme weather events, and they appear to be happening with greater regularity and severity.1
What can you do to prepare? Have an emergency plan.
The Canadian Red Cross and Government of Canada websites provide good advice and checklists including the following tips:
Be self-reliant in your home
You should keep enough supplies, including plenty of water (at least 4 litres per person per day) and non-perishable food items to meet your family’s needs for at least 72 hours.
Never use unvented combustion appliances, such as barbecues, cook stoves, fondues, butane camping lanterns, propane or kerosene heaters and lamps inside your house.
Evacuating your home
It’s a good idea to have a pre-packed kit to take with you in a hurry if there’s an emergency evacuation. This should include things like food and water, copies of important documents, changes of clothing, medications and other items recommended by the Red Cross.
Your local radio and television stations will broadcast evacuation orders. You should be aware of your community’s emergency plan and evacuation routes; follow the routes and go to the location specified. You should also be aware ahead of time where emergency shelters are located.
Have an out-of-town contact person for each family member to call or email in case of an emergency. The contact should live far enough away that he or she will not have been affected by the same event.
Be proactive
One of the best ways to deal with a severe weather event is to know about it in advance. You can get an alert service called Radar™2 which notifies you in real-time about disturbances in your area. Radar can detect weather risks for multiple watched locations (e.g., home, cottage, parent’s condo). You can access Radar FREE by simply downloading The Personal app.
No matter how well you are prepared, there is always the potential for damage to your home or vehicles. CDSPI offers preferred Home & Auto Insurance rates to the dental community through The Personal. For questions about Radar or to get a quote call 1.877.277.7230.
1 Canadian Centre for Climate Services, Government of Canada.
2 Radar™ is a trademark of Desjardins General Insurance group Inc., used under licence.
3 CDSPI Home and Auto Insurance is underwritten by The Personal Insurance Company and distributed by CDSPI Advisory Services Inc. Home Insurance is not currently available to residents of Quebec. Auto Insurance is not available to residents of Quebec, Manitoba, Saskatchewan and British Columbia.