How to Identify Natural Disasters That Could Affect Your Area
Emergency preparedness starts with knowing what you’re preparing for. Every region faces different natural threats—from hurricanes and floods to wildfires and earthquakes. Understanding which disasters are most likely to happen in your area is the first step toward building an effective emergency plan.
Here’s how to assess the risks in your region and prepare accordingly.
Step 1: Understand the Natural Disaster Categories
Natural disasters fall into several broad types. Knowing the categories helps you spot which ones are relevant to your region:
Weather-Related
Floods
Hurricanes / Tropical Storms
Tornadoes
Blizzards / Winter Storms
Extreme Heat or Cold
Earth-Related
Earthquakes
Volcanic Eruptions
Landslides / Avalanches
Fire-Related
Wildfires
Urban Firestorms (in extreme dry conditions)
Water-Related
Tsunamis
Storm Surges
Droughts
Step 2: Check Local Hazard Maps and Government Sources
Most governments and municipalities maintain public resources about disaster risks in your region. Start by checking:
Local emergency management websites
Municipal hazard maps
Provincial/state emergency response agencies
Historical weather and disaster data from Environment Canada or Natural Resources Canada
Look for maps or reports on:
Earthquake fault lines
Floodplains
Fire-prone zones
Evacuation zones (for hurricanes or industrial accidents)
🛠 Tip: Bookmark your regional emergency alert system and subscribe to updates.
Step 3: Review the History of Past Events
Understanding past disasters can help predict future ones. Research:
What natural disasters have occurred in your area in the past 10–50 years?
How often do they occur?
What impact did they have (infrastructure, power outages, evacuations)?
Try local news archives, government reports, or even community Facebook groups.
Step 4: Consider Local Geography and Climate
Your physical environment plays a major role in what disasters you might face.
Ask yourself:
Do you live near a river, lake, or coastline? → Risk of floods, storm surges, tsunamis
Are you in a forest, grassland, or mountainous area? → Risk of wildfires, landslides, avalanches
Is your area known for heavy snow or ice? → Risk of blizzards, roof collapse, vehicle accidents
Are you near a major fault line or volcano? → Risk of earthquakes or eruptions
Do you live in a drought-prone or agricultural zone? → Risk of water scarcity or dust storms
Even urban areas are not immune: aging infrastructure, heatwaves, or overloaded drainage systems can create new risks.
Step 5: Ask Your Neighbours and Community
Sometimes the best information comes from people who have lived in your area for a long time.
Questions to ask:
Have you experienced any disasters since living here?
What do people usually prepare for?
Are there seasonal risks that catch people off guard?
Local insight can be especially valuable if you've recently moved or if you're in a rural or under-served area.
Step 6: Use Online Tools and Checklists
A number of online tools make risk assessment easier. Try:
Hazard Map Canada (for earthquake and seismic risk)
Natural Resources Canada Flood Mapping Tool
Your province’s emergency management website (e.g. Ontario's Emergency Preparedness, BC’s Emergency Info Hub)
Climate Atlas of Canada for long-term climate risk trends
These tools often let you enter your postal code and see tailored risk profiles.
Step 7: Create a Risk Profile for Your Household
Once you’ve gathered your information, summarize the most likely risks in a document or spreadsheet.
Your risk profile should include:
Top 3–5 natural disasters most likely to occur
Time of year when they are most likely
Potential severity and duration
Required response (e.g. shelter in place vs. evacuate)
Secondary impacts (e.g. power outages, road closures, water contamination)
This document helps guide your emergency planning—what kind of supplies to store, what kind of alerts to subscribe to, and what evacuation routes to identify.
Final Thoughts
You can’t prepare for everything—but you can prepare for what’s most likely. By understanding your local risks, you can build a targeted emergency plan that makes your household safer, calmer, and more resilient.
Next steps:
Download ReadyPack’s Risk Assessment Template (coming soon)
Check out our Family Emergency Plan Guide
