Ottawa residents are being reminded that emergency preparedness isn't a one-time checkbox — it's an ongoing habit, and a City of Ottawa expert recently sat down with CTV News to share the practical steps every household should take before the next crisis hits.
Whether it's a winter ice storm knocking out power across the city, spring flooding along the Ottawa River, or a sudden heat emergency, Ottawa faces a real range of natural hazards that make year-round readiness a civic responsibility.
Start With a 72-Hour Emergency Kit
The foundation of any solid emergency plan is a kit stocked with enough supplies to keep your household going for at least 72 hours — the general benchmark before large-scale emergency services can reach everyone affected.
Here's what your kit should include:
- Water: At least two litres per person per day for drinking, plus extra for sanitation
- Non-perishable food: Canned goods, granola bars, nuts, and dried fruit work well
- Flashlight and spare batteries (or a hand-crank model)
- First aid kit with bandages, antiseptic wipes, and any prescription medications your family takes
- Important documents — ID, insurance papers, medical records — in a waterproof bag
- Cash in small bills, since ATMs and card readers may be offline
- Warm layers and blankets, a must-have given Ottawa's winters
- A battery-powered or hand-crank radio to receive emergency broadcasts when internet and cell service go down
Keep your kit somewhere accessible — a front closet or basement shelf — and check it once a year to swap out expired items.
Build a Family Emergency Plan
Supplies alone aren't enough. Every household needs a clear, practiced plan that everyone — including kids — knows by heart.
That means picking a meeting spot outside your home in case you can't get back in, identifying an out-of-Ottawa contact person to relay messages if local lines are overwhelmed, and knowing your building's evacuation routes if you live in a condo or apartment. Talk through the plan with children in calm, matter-of-fact terms so the routine feels familiar, not frightening.
Ottawa's Specific Hazards
Ottawa's geography creates a few distinct risks worth planning around. Spring flooding is a recurring concern in low-lying areas near the Ottawa River — neighbourhoods like Constance Bay, Britannia, and parts of Kanata have dealt with serious inundation in recent years. Residents in those zones should know their flood risk level and monitor City of Ottawa alerts closely each April and May.
Winter power outages are another reality here. Ottawa's ice storms and deep-freeze events can cut heat and electricity for days at a stretch. Have a backup plan ready: a family member's home, a hotel, or one of the City's warming centres.
And with Ottawa summers running hotter each year, extreme heat is increasingly a risk for older adults, young children, and anyone without air conditioning.
Where to Get Ottawa's Official Resources
The City of Ottawa's emergency management page at ottawa.ca is the authoritative source for local alerts, evacuation maps, and downloadable preparedness guides. You can also ensure your phone is registered to receive alerts through the National Public Alerting System — notifications push automatically when there's a threat in your area.
A few hours of preparation now could be the most important thing you do for your family this year.
Source: CTV News / City of Ottawa
