About 30 Canadian Red Cross Disaster Management volunteers and staff helped kick off Emergency Preparedness Week, May 4-10, at Toronto City Hall this week. Red Crossers were on hand to teach Deputy Mayor Norm Kelly how to set up cots for a shelter and share information to help Torontonians be ready for disasters.

Emergencies such as floods and house fires can happen to anyone, and in many cases, quite unexpectedly. That’s what Haley Overland and her family discovered this past winter when their home flooded as a consequence of the extended power outage caused by the ice storm that struck the Toronto area. She never imagined that this could happen to her and felt shock and disbelief.

Some Canadians don’t believe a disaster will happen in their community, yet, last year, many Canadians experienced disasters through events such as the Lac-Megantic derailment, Alberta floods and Toronto ice storm, as well as personal disasters like house fire or flooding. Are you prepared in case of an emergency? Join us on May 7 at 3 pm EDT for a live Twitter chat on emergency preparedness using the hashtag #BeReady.

With winter finally thawing, spring brings warmer weather as well as an increased risk of flooding. Floods are one of the most common and costly disasters in Canada, and the Canadian Red Cross is already providing support in communities affected by flooding in some parts of the country. 

Canadian Red Cross volunteer Russell Barton is motivated by knowing his actions will positively affect people in the future. That’s one of the many reasons he is a dedicated disaster management volunteer with Red Cross in Saskatchewan.

We always encourage people to know the risks, make a plan and get a kit so they can be ready for any emergency.

While much of Atlantic Canada is digging out from what has been described as a weather bomb, or spring blizzard, we thought we’d check in to see how residents of the Atlantic provinces prepared and got through the storm.

With a couple earthquakes shaking up the west coast in the past few weeks, it's a good opportunity to review your family's preparedness level, especially for those living in British Columbia or other earthquake-prone regions.

Since protests began in November 2013, the Ukrainian Red Cross' emergency response teams have been providing first aid for those wounded on both sides. They assisted more than 660 people last week during the escalation of violence in Kiev. They are continuing to provide support to those who need it.