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High winds
High wind events have become increasingly prevalent across our region. Learn how to protect your family and your property.
How to prepare in the event of an alert
A high wind alert warns you about the potential dangers. Take the following measures immediately:
- Secure or store any outdoor items that could blow away in the wind (garden furniture, barbecue, recycling bags or garbage bins).
- Identify a safe place inside your home (basement or room on the ground floor, such as a washroom, wardrobe or hallway).
- Cancel all non-essential travel.
- Bring your family to the safe location identified.
- Move away from doors and windows.
- Monitor the situation as it develops via weather alerts, radio and television updates, and the city’s website and social media platforms.
- Seek refuge in a solid building.
- As a last resort, shelter in a ditch or on hollow ground, lie face down, and use your hands to protect your head.
- Exercise caution.
- Move around debris.
- Never touch downed power lines.
- Report outages to Hydro-Québec.
Prepare to be autonomous. In the event of a disaster, make sure you have enough supplies to meet your needs and those of your family for a minimum 72 hours.
What are the potential consequences?
High winds occur during an atmospheric depression or a local weather event and are often accompanied by rain, glazed frost, or storm surges.
These events can cause:
- prolonged power outages
- uprooted trees
- roof damage
- flooding
- landslides
- dam failures
- forest fires
