Disaster awareness and preparedness among older adults in Canada regarding floods, wildfires, and earthquakes

This study investigated the attitudes, actions, and recommendations of older adults regarding natural hazards that pose risks in their geographic area—specifically floods, wildfires, and/or earthquakes in Canada. Older adults are significantly impacted by natural hazards and disasters that are exacerbated by climate change. Understanding their awareness and preparedness is essential for enhancing disaster resilience.

The two main recommendations arising from this research are:

• Improve awareness and preparedness with tailor-made emergency preparedness materials for older adults; 
• Adopt community-based approaches to disaster preparedness through existing community groups to strengthen social connections with a focus on locally specific hazards. The findings from this research can be applied to other hazards, including heatwaves and pandemics.