Household emergency preparedness

Proportion of households that have taken specific steps to prepare for a natural disaster.

This indicator is measured in the 2023 cycle of the Households and the Environment Survey (HES). Preparation for natural disasters or weather-related events allows households to be more resilient in the face of environmental vulnerabilities.

Content is subject to change until collection, which is scheduled to run from May 29, 2024 to September 16, 2024.

What steps have you/your household taken to prepare for a natural disaster?

Select all that apply

1. 3-day supply of drinking water (72 hours; 2 litres/person/day + water for pets)
2. Food
3. Money
4. Medication
5. Battery powered radio
6. Emergency lights: e.g., flash lights, chemical light sticks
7. Portable backup generator
8. Permanently installed home backup generator
   e.g., Generac®
9. Emergency solar PV
   Include portable solar panels
10. Other
    Specify other preparations
    OR
11. None of the above

• Households and the Environment Survey (HES)

The Canadian Social Survey (CSS) (Wave 6: July 15 – August 28, 2022 and Wave 7: October 21- December 4, 2022) ask related questions.

The CSS asks:

How concerned are you about the risk of a weather-related emergency or natural disaster affecting your household?

• Extremely concerned
• Very concerned
• Somewhat concerned
• A little bit concerned
• Not concerned at all

In the past 12 months, have you/has anyone in your household taken steps to prepare in the event of a weather-related emergency or natural disaster affecting your household?

• Yes
• No

In the past 12 months, have you helped others in your local community prepare in the event of a weather-related emergency or natural disaster affecting their household?

• Yes
• No

The infographic Preparing for weather-related emergencies in Canada presents data from these CSS questions (Statistics Canada – Infographics, June 1, 2023)

The StatsCAN Plus article Are Canadians prepared for the next natural disaster or weather-related emergency? presents data from these CSS questions (StatsCAN Plus, June 1, 2023)

There is also a question in the HES in the 2023 cycle that is correlated to where households will look for information about emergencies:

Where would you/your household expect to receive an alert for a natural disaster?

Select all that apply

1. By phone notification
2. From the TV
3. On the Radio
4. Social media
5. On a sign on the highway while driving
6. From a family member or friend
7. An app
8. A website
9. Other
   Specify the other source of information

NB: Content may change between now and collection.

Data on household emergency preparedness were previously collected in the one-time 2014 Survey of Emergency Preparedness and Resilience (SEPR). Data products from the 2014 SEPR are available at the following page: Related products – Survey of Emergency Preparedness and Resilience in Canada.