River flooding: How to protect your home

Last updated May 8, 2024
Reading time: 1 min
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How can you protect your home and belongings in case of river flooding? Take steps now to limit potential damage.

Before a flood

  • Put together an emergency kit with basic items that will enable your family to be self-sufficient for 72 hours, and to evacuate your home if need be. 
  • Make an emergency plan. 
  • Put important documents and other items in a waterproof container and keep it on a higher floor.
  • Install a submersible pump and check valves in the basement. An inspector can come to your house and tell you if the plumbing installed to drain your home is appropriate. Call 311 to find out how to arrange this.

When there is a risk of water infiltration

  • Caulk or block doors and windows at ground level (always keep an emergency exit).
  • To prevent water from seeping in, build a sandbag wall or put sandbags at strategic locations. To find out how to build a sandbag wall, see the guide put out by Québec’s Organisation de la sécurité civile. Call 311 to find out about sandbags distributed by your borough.
  • Move your vehicle to a place where it is dry and safe. 
  • Keep valuable items on a higher floor and raise furniture, electrical household appliances and hazardous materials up from floor level.
  • If it looks like water might reach your electrical panel, follow our instructions for quickly evacuating your home.

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