47

You may have heard the saying “when thunder roars, head indoors”, and that’s great advice. Thunderstorms move quickly, and may be accompanied by high winds, heavy rain, hail, or tornadoes. Pay attention to weather warnings.
 
When outdoors, keep checking for rapidly darkening skies or increasing wind, and seek shelter immediately if you hear thunder or see lightning. If you can’t get home or into shelter, here are some things to keep in mind:

I saw many friends try their hand at painting, spruce up their gardens, and even build a homemade app to plan meals for isolation when constant trips to the market weren’t possible. We created something important to us, and we shared in the feeling of how much our mood and quality of life had improved while working on these “new-to-us” projects!

When the muddy water from nearby rivers spilled into Fort McMurray in late April, some made its way into the Red Cross Health Equipment Loan Program (HELP) depot there. At its height, the freezing floodwater stood more than a metre deep in the building.

A former Syrian refugee in Canada is fighting COVID-19 the best way he knows how - with an ancient family soap recipe. Abdulfatah Sabouni of Calgary’s Aleppo Savon is donating 25 per cent of the proceeds of his new neem-oil soap to the Red Cross’ Covid-19 (Coronavirus) Global Appeal fund.

When the pandemic hit, Phyllis felt ready and prepared with a plan. As one of the main caregivers of her 87-year old father Peter, Phyllis rallied her siblings to ensure that their father was looked after, with plans for grocery and special deliveries even when the rest of family had to stay home. The family make a genuine effort to connect with Peter, and each other more often virtually than they typically did in person.
 

The return of warmer weather is always accompanied by a rise in Canada’s insect population. The buzz of swarming bugs is frustrating for most people, but for those with severe allergies, insect bites are a real concern. Crawling insects such as ticks can harbour Lyme disease and endanger the health of all. Get the upper hand over bugs by knowing how to prevent insect bites, and the appropriate First Aid to deal with insect bites.
 

Canada experiences around 8,000 wildfires every year. These can quickly devastate large areas of forest, grasslands, buildings, and even entire communities. As wildfire season rolls around again, we’ve put together some tips to help you prepare - all from the comfort of your own home.

There may be some differences this swimming season - and please follow local guidelines and rules when it comes to public water - but skills in water safety and first aid stay the same. With that in mind, we are providing a series of online water safety sessions to help keep your first aid skills strong this season.