Knowing the types of hazards that could occur is an important first step to ensuring that you are prepared for any emergency.
Check out the information and resources below on potential hazards in the City of Victoria.
As summers continue to get hotter due to climate change, extremely hot days are becoming more common.
The extreme heat resources map shows public places with air conditioning, misting stations, water fountains, splash pads and more to help keep you cool.
Tips to beat the heat
- Drink plenty of water.
- Avoid being outside during the hottest part of the day, usually 2-6 p.m.
- Close windows and indoor shades by 10 a.m. to trap cooler air inside and open them around 8 p.m. to let in cooler overnight air.
- Wear light, loose clothing and a hat.
- If working outside, take breaks and find shade.
- Never leave people or pets inside a parked vehicle.
- Check on your neighbours.
- Subscribe to Vic-Alert to receive emergency notifications including extreme heat hazards.
The Regional Extreme Heat Vulnerability portal helps identify who is more at risk to heat based on demographics, building type, and air and land temperatures.
If an Extreme Heat Emergency is declared, the City will activate its Heat Response Plan. Emergency Heat Alerts, related information and resources will be shared on social media and through Vic-Alert.
Other resources
PreparedBC: Extreme Heat Preparedness Guide
Environment Canada Weather Alerts
Extreme weather events are increasing in frequency and severity. The City has response plans to reduce impacts and mitigate risks associated with these weather events.
Prepare and Stay Safe in Winter Weather
Snow, ice and freezing temperatures may increase your risk of illness or injury when outdoors and can lead to hypothermia or frostbite. People at higher risk during winter weather include:
- older adults (65 years or older) and children under one-year-old
- people with disabilities
- people with preexisting illnesses or taking certain medication
- people experiencing homelessness
- outdoor workers
- people living in housing with no heat or power
PreparedBC's Winter Weather Tips
The best way to stay safe in the winter is to reduce your exposure to cold outdoor weather and keep yourself warm and dry. To stay safe while staying warm, use heating appliances and candles carefully and take steps to prevent electrical fires and carbon monoxide poisoning.
Preventing Electrical Fires Carbon Monoxide Safety
An emergency kit will ensure that you have critical supplies on hand in case of an emergency.
Top 5 Things To Include In An Emergency Kit (Video)
Warming Centres and Shelters
The City is committed to ensuring that all residents have a safe place to come inside during cold weather months and other extreme weather events. There are various types of shelters in Victoria. For up-to-date information on shelters and extreme weather response spaces, see BC211.
Intense precipitation events are becoming more common. Large amounts of rain can saturate soils, increase groundwater and flood neighbourhoods in and around Victoria.
Drainage crews work hard to maintain 5,700 of the City’s storm drains, but with thousands of drains spread across Victoria, the City needs your help to prevent flooding in your neighbourhood and on your property.
Power outages because of extreme weather or emergency situations can happen at any time. BC Hydro has several resources to help you prepare and stay safe during an outage.
Power Outage & Storm Safety Outage Map
PreparedBC's Power Outage Tips
If an outage in your area is not listed, call BC Hydro at 1.800.BCHYDRO (1.800.224.9376) or *HYDRO (*49376) on your mobile.
Although tsunamis are rare, it is important to understand the potential impact of tsunamis and what to do if one occurs. A tsunami consists of a series of unusually large waves formed by a large-scale disturbance in the water. One of the primary causes of tsunamis is an earthquake, but they may also be triggered by landslides, volcanoes or explosions.
Tsunami notifications, such as those issued by Vic-Alert, are issued using four levels:
- Information Statement — No threat or very distant event and threat not determined.
- Watch — Distant tsunami possible. Stay tuned for information and be prepared to act.
- Advisory — Strong currents and waves dangerous to those in or very near the water. Stay out of water and away from beaches and waterways.
- Warning — Dangerous coastal flooding and powerful current possible. Move to high ground or inland.
Although we may receive a tsunami alert from a faraway earthquake, the risk of experiencing a tsunami from a faraway earthquake is extremely low. The main risk of a tsunami in Victoria is from a felt earthquake.
Do not wait for a tsunami warning to act. The shaking is your warning that a tsunami may be coming. If you feel strong shaking from an earthquake:
- drop, cover and hold on
- count to 60 after the shaking has stopped
- leave the tsunami hazard zone by foot or bike
- if you are outside the tsunami hazard zone, stay where you are
The City has a brochure with information on what to do before, during and after a tsunami:
It is important to know if the areas that you frequent are in a tsunami hazard zone before a tsunami hits. The City and the CRD have developed interactive tsunami maps to help you identify tsunami hazard zones.
Victoria Tsunami Map Capital Region Tsunami Map
For more tsunami information, download the Earthquake and Tsunami guide from PreparedBC or visit the National Tsunami Warning Center website.
British Columbia is the most seismically active part of Canada, and experiences thousands of minor earthquakes per year. Southwestern B.C. is at high risk for earthquake hazards and Victoria has a one-in-three chance of experiencing a damaging earthquake in the next 50 years.
The impact of earthquakes can vary across the City depending on soil conditions. The Earthquake and Tsunami Risk map shows earthquake severity and intensity hazards plus tsunami hazard zones.
Explore the map to help you plan and prepare for earthquakes and get to know the Tsunami hazard zones. Most of the City is safe from tsunami risks and only those in a tsunami hazard zone should move to higher ground after an earthquake.
Earthquake and Tsunami Risk map
Natural Resources Canada has launched the Earthquake Early Warning system in B.C. which uses earthquake detection technology to give us a few seconds notice before we feel an earthquake. The system will send notifications directly to mobile phones, TV and radios in affected areas giving us time to drop, cover and hold on plus it will help automatic systems perform critical functions in the seconds before the shaking starts.
For more information, watch the earthquake early warning video.
During an Earthquake
As soon as you feel shaking from an earthquake:
- Drop to your hands and knees if you are able.* Do not run outside or to another room.
- Cover your head and neck with your arm and take shelter under a sturdy piece of furniture. If there is no shelter nearby, crawl to the nearest interior corner or wall while protecting your head and neck.
- Hold on to your shelter until the shaking stops.
*To learn how to protect yourself in various settings including examples in a wheelchair, with a walker, in bed or outdoors explore ShakeOut's Recommended Earthquake Safety Actions info sheet.
Practise how to drop, cover and hold on by participating in the annual Great British Columbia ShakeOut earthquake drill, held the third Thursday of October.
Once the shaking stops:
- Count to 60 before getting up, giving displaced objects a chance to settle.
- Stay calm and move cautiously, checking unstable objects and other hazards above and around you.
- Do not call 911 to report an earthquake. Only call for serious injuries or emergencies (fire, explosions, etc.)
- If your home is unsafe to stay in, take your grab-and-go bags and evacuate to somewhere safer
- If your home is damaged but safe to stay in, shelter-in-place and use your emergency kit
Prepare for an Earthquake
Before the next big earthquake, take these steps to make you, your family or your workplace better prepared to survive and recover quickly.
- Secure your space, identify hazards and secure movable items.
- Create your emergency plan and decide how you will communicate.
- Organize emergency supplies in convenient locations.
- Minimize financial hardship, organize important documents, prepare your home and property and consider insurance coverage options.
Register for a free emergency preparedness workshop to learn more about an emergency plan, emergency supplies and other steps to survive and recover from earthquakes and other emergencies.
Learn more in Prepared B.C.'s earthquake and tsunami preparedness guide.