Floods

Be prepared for an emergency by creating a 72-hour emergency preparedness plan and kit for you and your family.

• Visit Emergency Management Ontario and getprepared.ca for further details on how to prepare these important items.

If you are instructed by emergency officials to evacuate, do so immediately.

If an evacuation is not in place, consider these safety precautions:

• Avoid travelling on roads that are near any bodies of water.
• Do not drive through, stand or walk in any moving water.
• If you must walk, look for still water and use a stick to check the ground in front of you.
• Keep children and pets away from floodwater.
• Avoid using the plumbing system if the septic tank or the disposal field is under water.

• Store any personal belongings in sealed bins.
• Move documents and keepsakes out of the basement.
• Test sump pumps regularly and install a back-up system (for example, battery back-up or generator).
• Put weather protection sealant around basement windows and ground-level doors.
• Install "check valves" in sewer traps to prevent floodwater from backing up into the drains of your home.

• Extend downspouts at least 2 metres from your home to move water away from the building.
• Remove debris that could present danger during flood events.
• Secure outdoor furniture and items around piers, docks or boathouses.
• Regularly maintain water drainage systems, such as weeping tile, culverts and ditches.

Before returning home, check with your local municipality for any information from local public health units, utilities and other community officials who are working to keep you and your family safe.

• Do not use flooded appliances, electrical outlets, switch boxes or fuse breaker panels until they have been checked by your local authority.
• Follow instructions from the Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit when it comes to water in and around your home, which could be heavily contaminated.
• Do not eat food that has come in contact with flood waters.
• Report any broken utility lines to the appropriate authorities.
• If your property has been damaged:
• You may need special permits to rebuild or restore your property.
• You may be eligible for provincial assistance. Further information on disaster recovery assistance can be found at Government of Ontario Website