Small steps before trouble hits. Water, food, power, documents, medication, pets, shelter, and calm planning for Duncan, Cowichan Valley, Victoria, and Vancouver Island.
This guide is for planning and preparedness. In an active emergency call 911, follow local evacuation orders, and check official emergency alerts. Hours, services, and conditions can change.
Preparedness does not have to be expensive or extreme. It can start with one water jug, one flashlight, one phone charger, one written contact, and one plan for where to go. This guide turns emergency readiness into simple levels so you can build safety one step at a time.
Start Here: The 10-Minute Preparedness Reset
✅ Do what you can in the next 10 minutes
Save emergency contacts in your phone
Charge your phone and a power bank
Fill water bottles
Put a flashlight in an easy-to-find place
Check your medication supply
Put ID and important papers together
Choose one meeting place
Write down one out-of-area contact
Check local alerts
Tell one trusted person your plan
Preparedness begins with what you can do today, not with buying everything at once.
Level 1 — 24-Hour Basics
For the first day of a disruption, focus on water, warmth, light, phone power, medication, and knowing where to go.
Build toward three days on your own. This is the standard most official guides recommend. Add a little at a time as money and space allow.
📦 Grab-and-Go Bag
Water and easy food for 3 days
Flashlight, batteries, power bank
Medication and copies of prescriptions
Warm clothes, rain layer, sturdy shoes
Copies of ID and key documents
Cash, phone charger, small first-aid kit
Comfort item, pen and paper
🏠 At-Home Supplies
About 4 litres of water per person per day
3 days of food that needs little cooking
Battery or hand-crank radio
Hygiene items, toilet supplies, garbage bags
Extra batteries and a backup light source
Pet food, water, and supplies
Important papers in one waterproof bag
Food safety in a power outage: a closed fridge keeps food safe about 4 hours; a full freezer about 48 hours (24 if half full). When in doubt, throw it out.
Level 3 — One Week and Beyond
Vancouver Island can be cut off for longer after a major earthquake or storm. If you can, slowly build toward a week of self-sufficiency. This is a goal, not a requirement.
💧 More Water
Extra stored or refillable water
A way to treat water (boil or drops)
Know your home backup sources
🥫 More Food
A small stock of foods you already eat
Rotate so nothing is wasted
Special-diet, baby, or medical foods
🔌 Power & Cooking
Safe outdoor cooking (never indoors)
Extra batteries and chargers
Keep a wrench near utility shut-offs
Common Situations — Simple Steps
⚡ Power Outage
Keep the fridge and freezer closed
Use flashlights instead of candles
Unplug sensitive electronics
Never run generators or BBQs indoors
🌎 Earthquake
Drop, cover, and hold on
Stay away from windows
Expect aftershocks
Near the coast after a long quake, move to high ground
🌫️ Wildfire Smoke
Stay indoors with windows closed
Use a clean-air room if you can
Limit hard activity outside
Check on people with breathing problems
💧 Water Disruption
Use stored water for drinking
Follow any boil-water notice
Treat unsafe water before drinking
Save bottled water for cooking and meds
❄️ Severe Weather
Charge devices before the storm
Dress in layers and stay dry
Keep your car fuel above half
Check on neighbours and seniors
🤒 Illness at Home
Keep fluids, basic medicine, and rest supplies
Have a thermometer if possible
Call 811 (HealthLink BC) for advice
Ask one person to check in on you
Preparedness For Everyone
Readiness should fit your real life — your budget, your body, and your situation.
💵 Low Budget
Reuse bottles for water — it’s free
Add one extra item to your grocery trip
Dollar-store flashlight and batteries
Write your plan on paper — no cost
♿ Disability & Health Needs
Keep extra medication and supplies
Backup power for medical devices
List your needs for helpers and 911
Arrange someone to check on you
🚐 Living in a Vehicle
Keep water, snacks, and warm layers
Phone charger and power bank in the car
Know warming/cooling centres nearby
Never run the engine to sleep in a closed space
🏠 Renters & Families
Know where shut-offs and exits are
Pick a family meeting place
Plan for kids, seniors, and pets
Keep copies of your lease and ID
If You Have No Home Base
You can still prepare. Keep a small bag with water, snacks, a charger, ID copies, warm layers, and a written list of contacts and safe places. Know your nearest warming, cooling, and emergency reception centres. You deserve safety too.
