What to do before a flood

At home, always have on hand an emergency kit (stored in a backpack or bin) containing the items that household members will need to make it through the first 3 days of an emergency situation. Your emergency kit should be stored in an easily accessible location. Verify its contents annually and replace the batteries and bottled water as needed, as well as non-perishable food that has expired.

Below are the 7 essential items you should have in your emergency kit :

• Drinking water (6 litres per person);
• Non-perishable food (for at least 3 days);
• Hand can opener;
• Battery-operated radio and replacement batteries;
• Headlamp or flashlight and replacement batteries or a wind-up flashlight;
• Lighter or matches and candles;
• First aid kit containing antiseptics, analgesics, adhesive bandages, sterile gauze pads, scissors, etc.;

In the event of an emergency or a natural disaster, first responders may not arrive in your area immediately. You are therefore primarily responsible for your safety. The best way to prepare for such an eventuality is to have a household emergency plan :

• Always have an emergency kit on hand that contains the essential items needed to meet the basic needs of household members for 3 days.
• Draw up a list of the names and contact information of the persons you will need to reach in the event of an emergency (family members, daycare, school, municipality, etc.).
• Prepare a household evacuation plan, determine where family members are to gather and conduct evacuation drills. If you live in a building with an elevator, be sure to use the stairs, even during drills.
• Learn how to turn off the water, electricity and gas (if applicable).
• Determine the route you will take to leave the neighborhood in the event of an evacuation. Determine an alternative route in the event that certain roads are impassable.
• Make an inventory of your property, and include proofs of purchase, photos or video. Store these documents with copies of your home and automobile insurance policies in a safe place outside your home (such as your workplace, for example).
• Contact your insurer to verify your home insurance coverage . The majority of home insurance policies cover damages caused by natural phenomena such as hail, lightning, wind storms or tornadoes.

In an emergency or a disaster, you are the first person responsible for your safety (French only) and that of your family, as well as safeguarding your property. In the event of a disaster, however, municipalities are responsible for helping the people affected and for taking the necessary measures.

When a municipality's response capacity is insufficient, the Gouvernement du Québec provides assistance (French only) by deploying government resources to facilitate the return to normal, based on what is provided for in Québec’s national civil protection plan.

Follow your municipality and Urgence Québec social media feeds and consult local media outlets for information about the current situation and steps to be taken.