Heavy rains are not uncommon in Alberta in the early summer. Stay ahead of Mother Nature with these tips to help protect your family and your home.
Protecting Your Family
- Make an evacuation plan and consider putting together a 72-hour ready-to-stay and ready-to-go emergency preparedness kit. You can find details of what to include on the Alberta Government website.
- Remember to check-in on elderly relatives, friends, and neighbours, as they may need help preparing for extreme weather conditions.
- Don’t forget the pets in your family, too. Water can rise quickly, so be sure to keep your pet inside and place their kennel, food, and water on the upper levels of your home.
- Download the Alberta Emergency Alert Mobile App for your phone to get alerts for your community.
Protecting Your Home
- Make sure there is proper drainage around your home. Extend downspouts to allow rain to flow away from your home — or if you have a sump pump, direct the hose towards the street.
- Keep your basement floor drains clear of any obstructions.
- Store personal belongings off of the basement floor, and keep important documents and irreplaceable personal items (such as tax returns and photographs) in a place where they won’t be damaged. Sealable plastic containers are a great way to keep the water out.
- Install a sump pump in your basement, and backflow valves for drains, toilets, and other sewer connections.
- If your home is damaged by water, contact your insurance company as soon as possible.
Driving in Flooded Conditions
- Avoid driving over a flooded road — you could end up stranded and at risk having your vehicle swept off the road.
- Steer clear of large puddles, if the water is higher than the wheels of your vehicle — you could run into car trouble or water damage.
- If your car stalls in rising waters, get out immediately and make your way to higher ground.
