Climate ready home guide
Calgary’s summers are getting hotter, drier, and longer due to climate change. Hazards like wildfire smoke, extreme heat, hail, and flooding are becoming more common and severe. As a result, the risks to our homes, properties, and health are increasing.
Although climate change is a complicated issue, the solutions don’t always have to be. As a renter or homeowner, there are things you can do to prepare for climate-related impacts and adapt your home and habits.
The information and tools below provide simple safety tips, no-cost home maintenance ideas, and advice for larger renovation projects. These tools will help you avoid damage to your home and protect your health and wallet from extreme weather events.
-
Home Self-Evaluation Tool
Self-assess your home to understand how you can better prepare for hazards.
-
Climate Ready Home Guide
Download the complete Climate Ready Home Guide to climate-proof your home.
-
Virtual Climate Ready Home
Explore this virtual home to learn more about adapting to climate change.
*You are about to visit an external website that does not meet the accessibility standards set out by The City of Calgary. We apologize for any inconvenience.
Climate hazards and their potential impact on your home
This section identifies climate hazards becoming more likely and/or severe due to climate change, and their potential impact on your home, property, and health. You may be at greater risk depending on where you live in Calgary and how vulnerable your home is.
Climate ready home handouts
These handouts summarize impactful ways to protect your home and health from each climate hazard.
- How to prepare your home for extreme heat
- How to prepare for wildfire and smoke
- How to protect your home from flood and heavy rain
- How to prepare your home and yard for drought
- How to prepare your home and yard for hail and high wind
Climate ready measures for the home
This section identifies key measures to reduce the impacts of the climate hazards becoming more likely and severe in Calgary.
Additional resources and information
- The Disaster Risk Explorer provides more information about hazards that could pose the greatest risk to Calgary.
- To learn how to prepare and protect yourself, your family, and your home from any emergency in Calgary, visit Calgary.ca/GetReady.
- For resources for those who are more affected by climate change, and to learn more about climate equity, visit Calgary.ca/ClimateEquity.
- For tips on hiring a contractor that is right for you, visit Hiring a contractor.
- Financial support programs:
- Home Upgrades Program: free energy efficiency upgrades for income-qualified homeowners based. The program is funded by the City of Calgary and implemented by Alberta Ecotrust and EmpowerMe.
- Clean Energy Improvement Program (CEIP) from the City of Calgary offers financing for home energy improvement. The next program intake will be in Summer/Fall 2024. Sign up for email updates.
- Branching Out Tree Program provides trees at no cost from the City of Calgary. New updates are released each Spring.
- Green Calgary Rain Barrel program offers rain barrels at a lower cost than retail stores ($82) that go on sale April 1.
Our partners
The City of Calgary would like to acknowledge the following Partners for their contribution to the Climate Ready Home Guide content:
![Logo for Institute for Catastrophic Loss Reduction](/https/www.calgary.ca/environment/resources/climate-ready-home-guide/_jcr_content/root/maincontentpar/responsivegrid/grid_layout_15583675/column-401797b3-13e8-4685-968b-1e95f93c15960/grid_layout/column-3a3bf260-64f8-4595-ba28-9e5c14503bf80/image_1108866303.img.png/1619560579840/iclr-logo.png)
![Logo for All One Sky Foundation](/https/www.calgary.ca/environment/resources/climate-ready-home-guide/_jcr_content/root/maincontentpar/responsivegrid/grid_layout_15583675/column-401797b3-13e8-4685-968b-1e95f93c15960/grid_layout/column-8411dde1-d138-49e9-8f1b-280e2eb4e38e0/image_84415039.img.png/1619561201914/aos-logo.png)
![Logo for City of Edmonton](/https/www.calgary.ca/environment/resources/climate-ready-home-guide/_jcr_content/root/maincontentpar/responsivegrid/grid_layout_15583675/column-401797b3-13e8-4685-968b-1e95f93c15960/grid_layout/column-401b818d-4eac-4a96-bdbb-edcd641e3bee0/image.img.png/1619560925506/edm-logo-colour-s.png)
![Logo for the University of Waterloo](/https/www.calgary.ca/environment/resources/climate-ready-home-guide/_jcr_content/root/maincontentpar/responsivegrid/grid_layout_15583675/column-401797b3-13e8-4685-968b-1e95f93c15960/grid_layout_copy/column-3a3bf260-64f8-4595-ba28-9e5c14503bf80/image_1108866303.img.jpeg/1714666269152/universityofwaterloo-logo-horiz-cmyk.jpeg)
![Logo for the Intact Centre on Climate Adaptation](/https/www.calgary.ca/environment/resources/climate-ready-home-guide/_jcr_content/root/maincontentpar/responsivegrid/grid_layout_15583675/column-401797b3-13e8-4685-968b-1e95f93c15960/grid_layout_copy/column-8411dde1-d138-49e9-8f1b-280e2eb4e38e0/image_84415039.img.png/1714666296720/icca-logo-in-black.png)
Translated handouts
Arabic
- Drought, للجفاف
- Extreme heat, للحرارة الشديدة
- Flood and heavy rain, الفيضانات والأمطار الغزيرة
- Hail and high wind, للبَرَد والرياح العاتية
- Wildfire, لحرائق الغابات والدخان الناتج عنها
Chinese, Simplified
Chinese, Traditional
French
- Drought, La sécheresse
- Extreme heat, Chaleurs extrêmes
- Flood and heavy rain, Des inondations et des fortes pluies
- Hail and high wind, La grêle et les vents violents
- Wildfire, Feux de brousse et à la fumée
Punjabi
- Drought, ਸੋਕ
- Extreme heat, ਬਹੁਤ ਜ਼ਜ਼਼ਿ਼ਿਆਦਾ ਗਰਮੀ
- Flood and heavy rain, ੜ੍ੜ੍ ੍ਹ੍ਹ ਅਤੇ ਭਾਰੀ ਮੀਮੀੀਂੀਂਹ
- Hail and high wind, ਨੰ ੂ ਗੜਿਆਂ ਅਤੇ ਤੇਜ਼ਜ਼ ਹਵਾ
- Wildfire, ਜੰਗਲ ਦੀ ਅੱਗ ਅਤੇ ਧੰ ਏੂ
Spanish
- Drought, La sequía
- Extreme heat, Calor extremo
- Flood and heavy rain, Inundaciones y las fuertes lluvias
- Hail and high wind, Granizo y los fuertes vientos
- Wildfire, Incendios forestales y el humo
Tagalog
- Drought, Tagtuyot
- Extreme heat, Matinding init
- Flood and heavy rain, Baha at malakas na ulan
- Hail and high wind, Granizo at malakas na hangin
- Wildfire, Malalaking sunog at usok
Urdu
- Drought, خشک سالی
- Extreme heat, شدید گرمی
- Flood and heavy rain, سیلاب اور تیز بارش
- Hail and high wind, اولے اور تیز ہوا
- Wildfire, جنگل کی آگ اور دھوئیں
Disclaimer: The content of the Climate Ready Home Guide is for informational purposes only and cannot be construed as technical advice with respect to any particular building(s) or construction project(s). The Climate Ready Home Guide does not recommend or endorse specific products or companies. All products and measures should be installed by a professional contractor, according to manufacturer specifications and following all City Bylaws and codes.