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Outages, Ice Storms & Wildfires: Canada’s Year-Round Weather Threats—and How to Stay Powered

EcoFlow

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Canada’s weather threats don’t take seasons off, so neither should your emergency preparedness. From winter ice storms that knock out power to summer wildfires that trigger mass evacuations, extreme weather can disrupt daily life at any time of year. This makes it essential to plan ahead, protect your home, and ensure you have reliable backup power when the grid goes down. Here’s what to know before the next outage hits.

Ice Storms, Winter Outages, and What It Means for Your Home

Canada is no stranger to ice storms and winter power outages. The 2023 ice storm that affected Quebec and Ontario resulted in four fatalities, severe property and infrastructure damage, and power outages that affected more than a million people.

Winter is a tough time to lose power, especially for those relying on electric heat. This makes it essential to prepare for power outages so we can keep our families safe. To avoid evacuating during an outage, explore whole-home backup systems to keep your home running. Alternatively, for those on a budget, smaller portable power stations can be used to run essential appliances and a space heater.

Wildfires and Power Loss: Heat, Smoke, and Evacuation Risks

Canada’s 2023 and 2025 wildfire seasons were the worst and second-worst on record, respectively. Hundreds of thousands of people had to be evacuated, and smoke smothered cities as far south as New York, USA.

As climate change and ongoing droughts persist, this is expected to worsen. While British Columbia and Alberta have traditionally been the hardest hit, wildfire risks have shifted with climate change to the prairie and eastern provinces, and farther north than they used to. No Canadians are immune to the threat, so hardening homes against wildfires and preparing for the outages they inevitably cause is now essential.

Emergency Prep Essentials: Survival Kits, Evacuation Plans, and Food

To keep your home and family safe, emergency preparedness is essential. Fortunately, it’s also relatively easy. Let’s take a look!

Survival Kits

Have an emergency kit for your home and a grab-and-go bag in case you need to evacuate, though you can combine the two if need be. Your essential survival kit should include at a minimum the following:

Three days of non-perishable food and 4L of water for each family member, including pets
Complete first aid kit and any prescription medications
Warm blankets and a change of warm clothes for each family member
Rechargeable flashlights or flashlights with spare batteries
Emergency radio
Emergency whistle
For your car: additional blankets, sand or kitty litter (for traction), ice scraper, tow rope, and jumper cables

DELTA 3 Classic Portable Power Station

The EcoFlow DELTA 3 Classic delivers 1800W of reliable power (3600W surge) with X-Boost™ to support high-demand appliances up to 2600W. Fast-charging to 80% in just 45 minutes, ultra-quiet at 30dB, and built tough with 10 years of dependable performance, it’s a lightweight, portable solution you can trust anywhere—backed by up to 5 years of warranty.

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Power

The EcoFlow DELTA 3 Classic (1024Wh) makes it easy to keep devices charged so you can stay connected and informed through any outage. It’s even powerful enough to run a fridge, freezer, and essential medical equipment. Pair it with solar panels, and you can stay powered up indefinitely. Yet it’s still lightweight and portable enough to bring with you in case of evacuation.

Evacuation Plans

Always be prepared for evacuation, whether mandatory or because your home becomes unsafe and you need to seek refuge elsewhere. Listen to your local news and emergency broadcasts to stay up to date on evacuation plans and routes. Additionally, use a weather app on your phone to track severe weather and stay informed and safe.

Food

Keeping at least three days' worth of non-perishable foods in an emergency kit is essential. However, there are additional considerations. If you don’t have a portable power station to keep your fridge and freezer cold, refrain from opening the doors. If the power is out for more than a few hours, start cooking perishables and eating them if you can.

Power Options and Safety: Generators, Portable Power Stations, and Fuel

Gone are the days of traditional generators with their noise and toxic fumes that can never be used indoors due to lethal carbon monoxide poisoning. Modern battery-powered portable power stations like the EcoFlow DELTA 3 Ultra Plus (3072Wh) are safe for use indoors and require no flammable fuels. With six options to recharge in as little as 48 minutes, you can even stay powered through extended blackouts.

The other option is a whole-home generator tied into your household electrical, allowing you to stay connected without missing a beat. Fortunately, products like the EcoFlow DELTA 3 Ultra Plus can be expanded with additional batteries up to 11kWh, making them a viable whole-home backup option.

Frequently Asked Questions

How Do You Survive if the Power Goes Out in the Winter?

To survive winter power outages, have an emergency kit ready, dress in multiple layers, gather your family in a single room, and share blankets. A battery-operated portable power station can be used to run a space heater, but never use traditional generators indoors to avoid lethal carbon monoxide poisoning.

What Are Three Things You Can Do To Stay Safe During Severe Winter Weather?

To stay safe during severe winter weather, stay indoors and travel only for emergencies. Dress in multiple layers of warm clothing to prevent hypothermia. Prepare for power outages by keeping an emergency kit and a battery-operated portable power station ready to run a space heater and essential appliances.

Are Power Outages Common in Canada?

Yes, power outages are common in Canada. Most Canadians experience at least one per year, while others experience five or more. They’re primarily caused by severe weather like ice storms, high winds, wildfires, and heatwaves, which damage equipment and place a heavy burden on the grid.

Stay Powered Through Any Weather Emergency With EcoFlow

Canada’s weather risks aren’t limited to one season. Ice storms, wildfires, and other severe weather events can strike at any time, making it essential to have emergency kits, evacuation plans, and reliable backup power ready. Battery-powered portable power stations like the EcoFlow DELTA 3 Ultra Plus (3072Wh) are a safe, quiet, and dependable way to keep your home connected and your essential appliances running, providing your family with safety and peace of mind.