You’ve Been Evacuated. How to Take Care of Your Health

published on August 28, 2023 by Michelle Gamage in The Tyee

So you’ve been evacuated. Or smoke has rolled in, making the skies hazy and you’re nervously checking your phone to stay up-to-date on wildfires — which isn’t made any easier now that Meta has booted all Canadian news from its platforms including Facebook and Instagram.

What now?

In May, The Tyee published an article with resources for how to prepare for an emergency. It guided readers through packing a bag for an evacuation and accessing financial supports in the aftermath.

With entire cities being evacuated due to wildfires, it felt like a good time for a followup on how to take care of your health during the worst fire season ever. What happens, for example, if you forget your prescription? How do you protect yourself from smoke during an evacuation? How do you find harm reduction services in a new community to which you’ve evacuated?…