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Over the past few weeks, thousands of people have had to evacuate their homes as a result of the spring floods in Quebec and parts of Ontario. Now that the water is beginning to withdraw in some regions, those evacuated by flooding may begin to re-enter their homes. Here are 8 safety precautions to follow when you return home.

In the bustling din of Dhulikhel Hospital’s emergency room, Dr. Sanu Shrestha walks with ease between triage nurses in the waiting room, hovering families at patient beds and doctors rushing to their next consult.

Christina and Chris MacKay stand in the kitchen of their new house in Fort McMurray. It’s nearly finished – the walls are painted, the cupboards are in – they are just awaiting the final touches.
Building a new house was never on the young family’s bucket list.

In what proved to be a well-timed coincidence, Red Cross volunteer Cheryl Beckett was part of a training exercise last Thursday with the City of Ottawa. Her role was to help set up a mock reception centre. The very next day she would do the same thing but not as part of an exercise this time, as flood waters in Ottawa began to seep into residential areas and many families became unsafe. 

Ongoing heavy rains resulted in flooding in many communities throughout the country, especially in Quebec. The Canadian Red Cross is on the ground to meet urgent needs of families affected by flooding.

Persistent, steady rains have put several communities in Québec at risk of flooding. Canadian Red Cross volunteers are providing disaster relief services in a number of areas, including accommodation and food. 

Several provinces including Ontario, Quebec and British Columbia are on heightened alert for flooding as a result of high water levels that are putting several communities at risk.

Martin de Vries, a Canadian Red Cross aid worker currently in Ethiopia as part of the Africa drought response, shares how the first rainfall of the year brings joy to a community, but doesn't mean the end of the drought.