After a Disaster

If you smell gas or hear a hissing or blowing sound, leave immediately. Turn off the main gas valve from the outside, if you can and know how. Call your natural gas provider on a cell phone from outside the building or call from a neighbour's home. If you shut off the gas supply at the main valve, you will need a professional to turn it back on. Do not smoke or use lanterns or candles for lighting inside a damaged home until you are sure there is no leaking gas or other flammable materials present.

Enbridge Gas provides safety information for customers on their websites.

Look for sparks, as well as broken or frayed wires. Do not check the electrical system if you are wet, standing in water or unsure of your safety. If possible and you know how, turn off the electricity at the main fuse box or circuit breaker. Do not touch the electrical panel or use power tools if you are standing in water. If the situation is unsafe, leave the building and call for help. Do not turn on the lights until you are sure they're safe to use. You may want to have an electrician inspect your wiring before turning the power back on.

Do not touch fallen electrical wires. They may be live and could hurt or kill you or others.

If appliances are wet, turn off the electricity at the main fuse box or circuit breaker, if it is safe to do so, as explained above. Then unplug appliances and let them dry out. Have appliances checked by a professional before using them again.

If water pipes are damaged, turn off the main water supply valve (learn how to do this if you don't already know). Once the system is repaired and water service restored, watch for special instructions from the municipality or Lambton Public Health – residents may be instructed to run their taps or boil the water first. Do not flush toilets until you know that sewage lines are intact.

If your basement has flooded, pump it out gradually (about one third of the water per day) to avoid damage – the walls may collapse and the floor may buckle if the basement is pumped out while the surrounding ground is still waterlogged.

Heavy rainstorms can overwhelm storm sewer systems and cause water to back-up into basements. Although combined sewers are becoming less common as they are replaced, extremely heavy rainfalls can cause sewage and storm water to combine in some cases, resulting in sewage back-flowing into basements.

Consider hiring a professional restoration company for clean-up or, thoroughly clean all hard surfaces (such as concrete, metal furniture, countertops, appliances, etc.) with hot water and laundry or dish detergent. Then disinfect the surfaces with a mixture of 1 cup of bleach in 22 litres (5 gallons) of water. Note that flood water may seep under flooring or into particle board furniture, which may be impossible to disinfect and dry.

Wear rubber boots, rubber gloves, and goggles when cleaning with bleach. Open windows and doors to get fresh air. Never mix bleach (laundry bleach, some bathroom cleaners) and ammonia (found in products such as glass and oven cleaners) because the fumes from the mixture could kill you.

Use fans and dehumidifiers and open doors and windows to remove moisture. To remove mold, mix 1 cup of bleach in 4.5 litres (1 gallon of water), wash the item with the bleach mixture, scrub rough surfaces with a stiff brush, rinse the item with clean water, then dry it or leave it to dry.

Discard items that cannot be washed and disinfected (such as mattresses, carpeting, upholstered furniture, pillows, books, wall coverings, etc.).

Remove and discard drywall and insulation that has been contaminated with sewage or flood waters (or hire someone to do the work). Check with your insurance company to see if you are covered for damages.

Your municipality may arrange for special garbage collection following a disaster or flood event.

Call your local fire department's administration number to have it inspect or remove chemicals and other dangerous materials. If you cannot reach the fire department or municipal office, call 9-1-1. In some cases, the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change will also have to be notified. Be sure to wash any exposed skin that may have come in contact with hazardous materials.

If you live in an older home or neighbourhood that has been damaged by a tornado or strong winds, be aware that asbestos fibres in insulation, mortar and plaster may have been disturbed and made air-borne, contaminating the air and dust within the disaster area. This possibility (later confirmed) was a significant concern in the aftermath of the Goderich Tornado in 2011, considering the historic architect of the damaged town. Also be aware when sanding or sawing previously painted surfaces, that lead in old paint can become air-borne and hazardous to workers. Consequently, special health protection measures and disposal procedures may need to be followed to ensure personal and public safety when working within disaster areas. The Ontario Ministry of Labour website contains specific references to asbestos and tornado damage.

Much of the information for this page was obtained from the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency website.

Following disasters, local residents who have not been impacted - and even people from outside the community - often want to help and will arrive at an emergency scene to lend a hand. In many instances however, emergency scenes are dangerous places, closed off to residents and the public by emergency officials. What people may not know is anyone acting as a volunteer on behalf of the municipality must be registered and possess the same level of training and safety equipment as someone who might be hired to undertake that particular work. Volunteers who register with the municipality and demonstrate that they have the required skills are covered under the Workplace Safety and Insurance Act during a declared emergency. Disaster scenes are often dangerous places and it is not uncommon for people to be injured during clean-up rather than during the disaster itself.

Please do not arrive at an emergency scene to provide assistance unless the municipality has requested volunteers from the public. In most instances, emergency officials will use staff or contract professionals (i.e. restoration companies, construction companies, tree removal companies, etc.) to assist with clean-up. When volunteer assistance is requested by a municipality, it is often for individuals with specific training, experience and equipment to perform specific tasks.

Potential volunteers may wish to join an accredited community or faith-based volunteer agency that can provide proper training, screening and support. Getting involved with a volunteer agency before an emergency occurs will improve your ability to help during a crisis or when help is needed. Some of the community organizations that provide assistance following disasters are The Salvation Army, Victim Services of Sarnia-Lambton and the Canadian Red Cross.

Instead of, or in addition to volunteering, people may want to help by making donations. During an emergency however, it may not be possible for municipalities to accept food, clothing or household items because they do not have the capacity to store or distribute donated items. Many communities have been overwhelmed by the volume of donated items that cannot be used and must be disposed of. Some well-meaning residents will incorrectly guess what items or resources might be needed which means that the municipality, already dealing with an emergency, must also deal with storing or disposing of unwanted articles. This situation is often referred to as the “second disaster“ by emergency management officials. In most instances, financial donations are preferred because those funds can be used to purchase exactly what is needed in the quantities that are needed.

Please do not donate any items unless specifically requested by the affected municipality or community service organizations. Residents can call 2-1-1 to find out what items might be needed and where they may be delivered. Local media and official Facebook and Twitter accounts may also provide details. Do not leave donations at unapproved locations.

Due to health and safety regulations, prepared food donations often cannot be accepted. If food donations are being sought, residents will be informed of what food items are needed and where they can be donated.

Financial donations are often preferred and greatly appreciated in order to purchase goods or services needed to assist affected residents. Be wary of potential scams and door-to-door collections. Residents will typically be requested to make donations to specific community organizations or to accounts set up specifically for disaster relief.