It’s never too soon to prepare for extreme weather

If a weather-related emergency or natural disaster were to hit with little-to-no warning, would you be prepared?

According to Statistics Canada, most of us would not be.

In a survey published in June 2023 just 24 per cent of Canadians said they or someone in their household had taken steps to prepare for extreme weather or natural disasters. It also found that half of Canadians were a little or not concerned at all about the risks of weather-related emergencies or natural disasters.

It’s Emergency Preparedness Week in Canada — dedicated each first full week in May to ensuring Canadians know the risks associated with natural hazards and how to prepare for them.

If we have learned anything the last couple of years, it’s that Atlantic Canada is sadly not immune to the forces of extreme weather.

The historic snowstorm this past winter in Cape Breton is the most recent example that trapped people inside their homes and communities for several days.

We’re also approaching the one-year anniversaries of Nova Scotia’s historic wildfire season that burned hundreds of homes and forced thousands to evacuate, and the flash flooding that claimed the lives of four people in West Hants, N.S.

Back in 2022 there was also post-tropical storm Fiona which left a trail of destruction killing three people, sweeping parts of Port Aux Basques, N.L., out to sea, and left thousands without power.

While we can’t control the weather, we can prepare for it. It’s not unreasonable to have an emergency kit stocked with items to last at least 72 hours no matter the storm or season.

Emergency kits should include your emergency plan, water, and non-perishable food with a manual canopener, wind-up or batterypowered flashlight and radio, a first aid kit, a small amount of cash and any special items such as prescriptions.

It’s never too early to prepare for a natural hazard, especially as extreme weather events become more frequent. Such preparedness is another tool in your arsenal to be ready for such events.

It’s better to be prepared and have nothing happen than to be unprepared and caught off guard.