Working with the City of Toronto, the Canadian Red Cross is supporting seven warming centres opening across the City. Red Cross volunteers have been deployed to provide assistance and distribute emergency supplies of cots, hygiene kits, blankets and bottled water in those warming centres.
The warming centres will be open to the public so that community members have a warm place to go while power is out.
The City warming centres will be opened at the following locations:
- Dennis Timbrell Community Cent, 29 St Dennis Dr, Eglinton & Don Mills
- Malvern Community Cent, 30 Sewells Rd, Neilson Rd & Finch
- Agincourt Community Cent, 31 Glen Walford Dr, Sheppard & Midland
- Don Montgomery Community Cent, 2467 Eglinton Ave E, Eglinton & Midland
- Driftwood Community Cent, 4401 Jane St, Jane & between Finch and Steeles
- Mitchell Field Community Cent, 89 Church Ave, Yonge & Finch
- Joseph J Piccininni Community Cent, 1369 St Clair Ave W, St Clair & Dufferin
With City officials warning that power outages could last until Wednesday, the Red Cross is sharing the following safety tips to help those who may be, or who are already affected by power outages.
Before power outages:
If your community is at risk of losing power, here are some things you can do to prepare for a possible outage:
- Make a plan: Work with your family to make a plan so that when a power outage happens, you are ready.
- Have an emergency preparedness kit. Click here for a full list of supplies that are important to have on hand for emergencies. Emergency supplies include a 72-hour supply of water and food.
- Keep a flashlight with working batteries in a place where it can be easily accessible and where everyone can find it.
- Make sure your home has a working carbon monoxide detector. If it’s hard-wired to the house's electricity supply, make sure it has a battery-powered back-up.
- Protect all your sensitive electrical appliances with a surge-protecting power bar.
During the power outage:
- Listen to your battery-powered or wind-up radio for information on the outage and advice from authorities.
- Check whether the power outage is only in your home. If your neighbours' power is still on, check your circuit breaker panel or fuse box. Keep emergency numbers, like your hydro company, near your telephone.
- If your neighbours' power is also out, contact your hydro company.
- Turn off all your appliances and electronic equipment, and turn your heating thermostats down to a minimum to prevent damage from a power surge when the power is restored.
- Turn off all your lights, except one inside and one outside, so that both you and hydro crews outside know that power has been restored.
- Don't open your freezer or fridge unless it’s absolutely necessary. A full freezer will keep food frozen for 24 to 36 hours if the door remains closed.
- Never use charcoal or gas barbecues, camping heating equipment, or home generators indoors because they give off carbon monoxide.
- Use proper candle holders (deep, wide holders are best) and ever leave lit candles unattended.
- Check on vulnerable family members, friends and neighbours (the elderly, ill, disabled) who may require special assistance.
If you need to evacuate
If you have to evacuate your home immediately, grab your emergency kit and listen to authorities. If you have been given an evacuation notice and you have some time to organize your home, protect it by taking the following precautions:
- Turn off the main breaker or switch of the power-supply box.
- Turn off the water main where it enters the house.
- Drain the water from your plumbing system. Starting at the top of the house, open all taps, and flush toilets several times. Go to the basement and open the drain valve. Drain your hot water tank by attaching a hose to the tank drain valve and running it to the basement floor drain.
- Unhook your washing machine hoses and drain.
