Edmonton Flood Preparation Checklist for Homes

Walk the lot while it is dry

Start outside on a calm day. Follow the lowest path from the back yard, side yard, and driveway toward the house. Note where mulch washes, where grass stays flattened, and where downspouts discharge beside a wall. Photograph each low entry: garage apron, basement door, window well, and any walkout. Write one sentence for each: where water arrives from and where a barrier should send it. That survey is the foundation of every later decision.

Clear eavestroughs, extend downspouts away from the footing, and uncover catch basins that are blocked by leaves or gravel. Sandbags help redirect shallow runoff; they do not replace a blocked private drain or chronic grading problem. If ordinary rain already wets the same wall, schedule a longer-term drainage fix after the emergency season.

Protect openings before you stockpile bags

Rank openings by risk to people and utilities first. An occupied basement stair or a door near electrical equipment outranks a garden bed. For each priority opening, measure the diversion line—not only the frame width—and add return ends so water cannot curl around the sides. Keep a waterproof sheet ready for door thresholds. Review quantity examples in the garage and window-well sizing guide.

• Garage low corner and driveway apron
• Basement stairwell or walkout door
• Window wells on the uphill side
• Side doors that receive roof or neighbour runoff

Decide a safe discharge direction that does not push water onto a neighbour’s property, a sidewalk, or an electrical hazard. A short diversion that drains freely usually outperforms a tall stack that traps a pond against the house.

Stage sandbags and tools

Edmonton Sandbags supplies pre-filled 18 kg hessian bags through SandBags.ca at $5.99 per bag, minimum 10. Store a measured reserve under cover near a dry access path—not at the bottom of the wet zone. Keep gloves, a tarp or poly sheet, a flashlight, and a charged phone with the stack. Pickup is available 24/7 at 4315 118 Ave NW, Edmonton, AB T5W 1A5. Call 1-888-552-7263 or use the quote form before a warning arrives if you want delivery timed for your site.

Assign roles: one person monitors alerts, one sets the line, and helpers carry bags one at a time with safe lifting. Read how to stack sandbags so the first deployment is not a first lesson.

Indoor and utility checklist

Move boxes, electronics, and stored goods off basement floors. Confirm sump discharge is clear and know how to shut off power if water approaches outlets. Keep documents, medications, and a small emergency kit on an upper floor. Pets and children should have an indoor plan before anyone works outside in wind or lightning.

Print or save municipal emergency contacts and the warehouse phone number. When thunder is audible, stop outdoor placement and shelter indoors—see thunderstorm and lightning safety.

Storm-day sequence

When a watch or warning appears: clear the drop or staging zone, place plastic at the priority threshold if needed, build the first course with staggered overlaps, turn both ends uphill, then stop and go inside before lightning or deep water. Do not drive through flooded roads to “finish” the wall. After runoff slows, inspect from a safe position, note what worked, dry clean bags if appropriate, and replace any torn or contaminated stock.

For neighbourhood-specific grade notes, see Edmonton neighbourhood flood preparation and the storm hub at Edmonton thunderstorm flood sandbags. A checklist only helps when the bags and the route are ready before the sky darkens.