NEED TO KNOW: Emergency preparedness and key contacts
Posted October 29, 2012 4:26 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
Residents are being warned to take precautions as wind gusts topping 100 km/h and heavy rains are being forecast for Toronto, the GTA and much of southern Ontario.
Homeowners and residents should prepare an emergency kit in case of flooding, property damages, power outages and road closures, officials said Monday.
Prepare to have basic supplies at home in the event of an outage, including water, food, flashlights and batteries.
Who to call and when
In a news conference Monday, Mayor Rob Ford advised residents about several key city numbers to call:
- 311 for downed trees, sewer backups and flooding.
- 416.542.8000, for hydro-related issues.
- 911 only for emergencies.
The city manager said that the heaviest rainfall of 30 millimetres was expected between midnight and noon Tuesday.
The city has a map of 32 flooding-prone areas in the city, which include parts of North York, Rexdale, the Beaches, Scarborough, the Bayview extension and Hoggs Hollow.
Click here and here for Sandy advisories and warnings from the Ontario government.
Emergency kits
Here are some other preparation and safety tips to consider ahead of Sandy:
The Canadian Red Cross also urged Ontarians to store emergency food, water and other supplies for your family during a power outage or evacuation. The organization suggests people have enough supplies to last them for 72 hours.
Here’s a list of items for an emergency kit, which should be kept in portable containers like wheeled suitcases or backpacks.
- Water: store two litres of drinking water and two litres of water for washing per person, per day, keeping a 72-hour supply on hand for your family and any pets.
- Food: store at least a 72-hour supply of non-perishable food for each person. Ensure that there is enough for each member of your family.
- Manual can opener
- Windup or battery-operated flashlight with extra batteries
- Windup or battery-operated radio with extra batteries
- Extra keys for house and car
- First-aid kit
- Cash in small bills
- Special needs items: medications, baby formula, diapers and equipment for people with disabilities.
Click here for more Red Cross tips.
Hydro One also recommended an emergency kit with similar items plus the following:
- Extra batteries for your flashlight and radio
- Blanket
- Hydro One’s emergency power outage hotline number 800.434.1235.
- Ensure you have at least one chorded phone at home; a cordless phone will not work in a power outage.
- Fully charged cellphone.
Keep the emergency kit in a backpack and make sure everyone in your home knows where to find it.
Toronto Hydro advises residents to stay clear of any fallen power lines during an outage. If you spot a fallen line, stay at least 10 metres away ,even if it doesn’t appear to be a live line, and call 800.434.1235.
Flooding
A flood watch for rivers and streams is in effect until Wednesday, the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority warned.
Everyone should use caution around all bodies of water and alert any children under your care of these dangers and supervise their activities. You can call its 24-hour floodline at 416.661.6514.
Travel
Airlines including Porter and Air Canada have cancelled hundreds of flights since the weekend.
Travellers are being advised to check the status of their flight ahead of time.
Click here to check the status of your Air Canada flight.
Click here to check the status of your Porter Airlines flight.
For more weather-related information, click here to go to CityNews’ Extreme Weather Centre.
