Hazards

As you may or may not be aware, a very small part of Windsor-Essex County (WEC) falls within the primary zone (up to 16 kilometres from the nuclear power plant) and all of WEC falls within the secondary zone (between 16 and 80 kilometres from the nuclear power plant) of the Enrico Fermi 2 Nuclear Generating Plant which is located in Monroe, Michigan. The Windsor-Essex County Health Unit in conjunction with our municipal partners, wants to ensure our residents are informed and safe in the highly unlikely case of a nuclear emergency.

Don’t let a winter storm catch you off guard! During the winter months, check for winter weather alerts and warnings before you go to bed. Always be prepared for cold weather.

There’s never a good time for a power outage to occur.  Severe storms and high winds can damage power lines and equipment which can lead to power outages. Extended power outages during extreme hot or cold weather could put your health and safety at risk. Follow these tips to help you and your family stay safe.

A pandemic occurs when an infectious disease spreads throughout the global population. Often, pandemics arise from a new strain of influenza. Since the virus is new, the human population is likely to have little, to no, immunity against it.

Floods are a common and widespread natural hazard across Canada, causing extensive damage to property and loss of life. Floods can result from heavy rainfall, sewer backups, severe storms, breaking dams, broken water mains, and thawing of snow and ice.

Tornadoes, also referred to as twisters are powerful column of high winds that are spun off from violent thunderstorms. These appear behind heavy rain and hail, moving at speeds up to 90 km/h.

Extreme heat is dangerous for everyone but the health risks related to heat are higher for certain groups (such as seniors, young children, people taking certain medications and people with chronic conditions).