Wind, Snow and Freezing Rain
Big wind is our most common cause of multi-day power outages, and freezing rain shuts the Malahat and side roads fast. Plan to be warm, fed and lit at home for several days without power.
Different living situations
No house, car, garage or credit card assumed.
House or apartment
You likely have the most storage. Keep supplies near an exit, not in a locked shed or a deep basement you may not be able to reach.
Single rented room
Think in one tote and one backpack. Under the bed and the back of a closet are your storage. Flat, stackable items beat bulky ones.
Shelter or supportive housing
Ask staff about the building's emergency plan, exits and medication storage. Keep a small personal pouch with ID copies, meds and phone charger on you.
Vehicle
Keep weight low and spread out. Water, warm layers, a light and a phone charger matter most. Never cook or run a heater inside a closed vehicle.
Tent or sleeping outside
Dry beats big. Prioritise waterproofing, warmth off the ground, a light, water and a whistle. Keep the essentials in one bag you can grab and carry.
Workplace or school
A small desk or locker kit — water, a snack, a light, comfortable shoes, meds and a contact card — covers most of what you'd need to get home.
Moving between places
Carry your plan on paper and in your phone. Copies of ID, a contact card and your medication list travel with you; bulk supplies stay with someone you trust.
Accessibility, health and medication
- Mobility: keep supplies at waist height and in a bag you can pull or carry. Store a spare cane, walker part or wheelchair repair kit if you rely on one.
- Vision: label items with large print or texture tape and keep a torch and spare glasses in a fixed, known spot.
- Hearing: turn on text-based emergency alerts, keep a written note card of key needs, and ask someone to text you rather than call.
- Cognitive: use a short one-page plan with pictures or few words. Practise the first three steps only.
- Medication: keep a written list of names, doses and prescriber. Ask your pharmacy about an emergency supply.
- Refrigerated medication: keep a small cooler and ice packs ready, know how long your medication stays usable warm, and ask your pharmacist to confirm.
- Powered equipment (oxygen, CPAP, lifts): register with BC Hydro's medical program, keep a charged backup battery, and know the nearest place with power.
- Service animals: pack water, food, and a copy of vaccination records; a service animal is allowed with you in reception centres.
- Mental health: emergencies make everything louder. Slow down, use the grounding steps, and reach a crisis line at 988 or 1-888-494-3888.
- Substance use: never use alone during a disruption. Carry naloxone, and check it hasn't expired.
- Limited English or reading: use picture cards, keep translated key phrases, and ask an outreach worker to help write your plan.
🚫 Mistakes to avoid
- Do not wait for a perfect kit. A half kit today beats a perfect kit next year.
- Do not skip rent, food or medication to buy survival gear.
- Do not run a generator, barbecue, camp stove or charcoal indoors, in a tent, or in a vehicle — carbon monoxide is invisible and fatal.
- Do not store everything in one place you might not be able to reach.
- Do not rely only on your phone; batteries die and networks jam.
- Do not drive or walk into moving water, smoke, or past a barricade.
☎️ Numbers worth writing down
- Fire, police, ambulance: 911 — Life-threatening emergency, fire, or someone not breathing.
- HealthLink BC: 811 — Free 24/7 nurse advice when you're not sure it's a 911 situation.
- Poison control (BC): 1-800-567-8911 — Swallowed, breathed in, or spilled anything harmful.
- 9-8-8 Suicide Crisis Helpline: 988 — Call or text, 24/7, anywhere in Canada.
- Vancouver Island Crisis Line: 1-888-494-3888 — 24/7 local mental-health and emotional support.
- BC Hydro outages: 1-888-769-3766 — Report an outage or a downed line (stay 10 m back).
- Emergency Info BC: EmergencyInfoBC.gov.bc.ca — Current evacuation alerts and orders.
Personal notes: ______________________________________________
Date last checked: ____________________
Key takeaways
- Assume a wind storm means a power outage — charge everything before it arrives.
- Never run a generator, barbecue, camp stove or charcoal indoors, in a tent, or in a vehicle. Carbon monoxide has no smell and kills quietly.
- Stay 10 metres from any downed line and assume it is live.
Step-by-step
- Before the storm. Charge phones and power banks, fill water containers and the bathtub, park away from big trees, and put a flashlight in every room.
- During. Stay indoors and away from windows. Report outages to BC Hydro. Keep the fridge and freezer closed — a full freezer holds about 48 hours.
- Heat safely. Close off one room, layer clothing, use blankets and body heat. Only use heaters rated for indoor use, and keep a working CO alarm.
- Winter driving. Winter tires are legally required on many BC highways from October 1 to April 30. Carry blankets, water, food, a shovel and a charged phone.
- If stuck in a vehicle. Stay with it, make it visible, run the engine only briefly for heat, and keep the exhaust pipe clear of snow to avoid carbon monoxide.
✅ Printable checklist
- Flashlight + batteries in each room
- Charged power bank
- Warm layers, hats, sleeping bags or blankets
- No-cook food for 3 days
- Working carbon monoxide alarm
- Vehicle kit: blanket, water, snacks, shovel, boots