Canada has adopted the color-coded weather alert system promoted by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO). Since November 26, 2025, the severity of these alerts on the Environment and Climate Change Canada website has been indicated by yellow, orange, and red. This is an important step forward, according to two experts consulted by the Insurance Portal, but much more will be needed to prevent and reduce the impacts of major natural disasters.

These three color alerts express the following conditions:

  • Yellow: These are the most common alerts. This color indicates hazardous conditions that could cause moderate damage, disruption, or health impacts. For example, during a yellow wind alert, there could be short-term utility outages, large broken branches, and a risk of injury.
  • Orange: These alerts signal weather likely to cause significant damage, such as widespread utility outages, some roof damage, as well as an increased risk of injuries. These alerts are less common.
  • Red: Conditions are very dangerous. They may be life-threatening and will cause extreme, widespread, and prolonged damage and disruption. However, they are rare. Three historical examples are cited: the 1998 ice storm in Quebec and Ontario; the 2020 monster snowstorm (93 cm) in St. John's, Newfoundland; and the 2021 atmospheric river in British Columbia.

"The message is simple," summarizes Environment and Climate Change Canada on its website: "Know the colour, know the risk." The federal department also advises, however, to "always read the full alert text for important details and safety guidance."

“People are more likely to take action”

Anabela Bonada, Managing Director of Climate Science and Operations at the Intact Centre on Climate Adaptation at the University of Waterloo, highlighted the expected positive effects of these color-coded alerts in a written exchange with the Insurance Portal.

“When warnings are easy to interpret, people are more likely to take timely short-term actions, such as adjusting travel plans, stocking essential supplies, and preparing a 72-hour emergency kit,” she explains. “These systems can make a meaningful difference in saving lives and reducing damage, particularly when residents are given sufficient time to prepare,” she added.

While color-coded alerts are an important preparedness tool, they cannot eliminate all the impacts of climate events on their own, Bonada cautions. They are more effective when part of a broader adaptation strategy, such as implementing measures to make infrastructure more resilient and improving land-use planning, she explains. Therefore, she says, this responsibility should not fall solely on Environment and Climate Change Canada.

Little money spent on adaptation

Bonada says that reducing long-term risks requires much greater investment in adaptation. However, in Canada, only a small fraction of climate-related spending is directed toward adaptation—about five cents for every dollar spent on mitigation. And this is “despite evidence from the World Resources Institute showing strong returns, with every dollar invested in adaptation generating about $10 in avoided losses,” she points out.

Overall, she observes, the pace and scope of efforts to adapt to climate change are not yet commensurate with the level of risk facing communities across the country. Yet, Canada has experienced some of the most significant natural disasters in its history in recent years. It has just endured three of the worst forest fire seasons on record.

While Environment and Climate Change Canada plays a critical role in climate science, forecasting, and public warnings, Bonada added that reducing impacts on people, buildings, and infrastructure requires a “whole-of-society approach. Governments at all levels, Indigenous communities, businesses, insurers, utilities, non-profits, and residents all have important roles to play.”

Clarifying the message

Rudy Hamel, president of the Association de sécurité civile du Québec (ASCQ), which has more than 500 members across the province, sees these colour-coded alerts as a much more "transparent" system than before, not only for citizens, but also for civil security and emergency response organizations.

"The colour-coded alerts will clarify the message and the significance of the event," says Hamel. "People will be better able to prepare for what's coming." He believes that the derecho, a very fast-moving storm system that crossed Ontario and Quebec in the spring of 2022, would have been classified as yellow or orange. The remnants of Hurricane Debby, which struck Quebec and part of the Maritimes in 2024, would likely have been categorized as orange, he says.

He sees this colour-coded system as a significant step forward in forecasting the impact of major weather events in Canada. Hamel expects this to lead to a reduction in damage because people will be better informed about the severity of the impending weather event and will be able to better prepare themselves through various actions.

That said, Hamel, who is also the deputy director of risk management and civil security for the city of Trois-Rivières, doesn't necessarily expect impacts in the very short term, but rather in the medium and long term, once the population and authorities have become familiar with the system.

No privileged link with Environment and Climate Change Canada

Another important aspect could be improved, according to Hamel. Currently, in Quebec at least, he says, civil security response offices do not have a privileged channel with Environment and Climate Change Canada regarding weather alerts. They receive the same information at the same time as the general public, which he would like to see change. He would like municipal organizations to be notified earlier so they can prepare more quickly for what is coming. Hamel is pleased, however, that today, most Quebec municipalities of a certain size have a civil security expert on staff, responsible for coordinating actions and influencing planning policies. This was not the case in the past, he notes; a sign that cities have grasped the situation and are increasingly playing their role in the face of climate events.

The worst natural disaster for public safety

What is the natural disaster he fears most as an expert? “Forest fires,” replies Hamel. Not only because of the damage they cause to buildings and infrastructure, but also because of the very large number of people they can displace, sometimes entire municipalities, as was the case in the Nord-du-Québec region in 2023. Evacuating and relocating thousands of people at once poses an immense challenge for public safety authorities.