Photo: Originally uploaded by Johntwrl (Transferred by Cloudbound ) · Public domainFew places are as safe from hazards as Elmwood: it beats 98% of Canadian towns
Around Elmwood, wildfire is practically absent from the record: 0% within 25 km since 1986, 0.000% a year. Shaking is less of a worry than in most places, at $0.013 a year per $1,000 of building value ($0.030 typical). In Health Canada’s survey, just 1.4% of homes tested in the area exceeded 200 Bq/m³ (6.6% typical). Elmwood grades A+ for hazard risk, with wildfire counted against it.
What stands out about Elmwood’s hazards
For Elmwood, from NRCan’s seismic model, Health Canada’s radon survey, the national burned-area record and the flood map inventory.
What Elmwood faces
Each hazard against its own yardstick; meters run from low to high on that yardstick.
Wildfire
Earthquakes
Radon
Flood study
Hazard risk in Elmwood: A+
Risk averages earthquakes and radon; wildfire joins only where it pulls the average down, so a town like Elmwood with little fire nearby would get no credit for it.
Its place: #11 of 474 in Alberta and #22 of 2,589 Canadian towns.
How sure: The seismic figure is a long-run average from NRCan’s model, not a prediction. The radon share rests on 73 home tests in the survey area, so a few homes move it. The burned-area record misses fires under about 10 ha and most grass and farm fires.
Wildfire is rare near Elmwood: 0% of the land within 25 km burned since 1986, 0% within 5 km
Fires mapped since 1986 around where Elmwood’s residents live, and the fuel next to their homes.
Elmwood burns at 0.000% a year, low against 0.000% for the typical Canadian town.
Since 1986 the nearest fire to Elmwood’s homes came within 23 km, never inside 5 km.
Forest fuel is scarce around Elmwood: 0.4% of the land within 5 km, 0.5% within 25 km.
Shares of land within 5 and 25 km of populated blocks: burned at least once in 1986–2025 (CWFIS burned-area composite), forest fuel and grass (fire behaviour fuel types, 2026, 250 m grid).
Burn rate a year, towns in Alberta · highest of 478
Near-zero burning puts Elmwood with 386 of the 478 towns in Alberta, far below Wainwright at 1.43%.
Each bar: the yearly average share of land within 25 km of a town’s homes that burned, 1986–2025 (CWFIS); the seven highest towns of 2,500 people or more.
Like most of Canada’s 2,610 towns (92%), Elmwood is in the low band, with a burn rate of zero to three decimals; 7.5% rank higher.
Bands of the yearly burn rate: low under 0.05%, moderate under 0.25%, high under 1%, very high 1% or more; towns of 2,500 people or more.
Fire danger and active fires (CWFIS)
Canadian Wildland Fire Information System: National Burned Area Composite 1986–2025 and fire behaviour fuel types (2026), Natural Resources Canada. Measured within 25 km and 5 km of each populated dissemination area; past fire, not a forecast.
The flood map inventory lists nothing for Elmwood
Flood studies whose area touches Elmwood, from NRCan’s inventory, each linked to its owner.
There is no study for Elmwood on the national flood inventory, which is far from complete.
Towns with a flood study on file
Flood maps are thinner in Alberta, 46% of towns against 58% nationally, and Elmwood has none.
NRCan Canada Flood Map Inventory: a study footprint touching the town’s boundary; towns of 2,500 people or more.
Flood is shown here, never graded: a study says where a map exists, not how many of Elmwood’s homes stand in a flood zone.
The inventory’s own caution (NRCan): “The Canada Flood Map (CFM) does not include every flood hazard map in Canada and may be incomplete or contain inaccuracies. It should not be relied upon as the official source of flood mapping information. Furthermore, if a map appears to be missing, this does not necessarily mean that the area has never been mapped. For the official version of a map, updated information, or confirmation of applicable regulations, please contact the local authority responsible for flood mapping.”
Low seismic risk in Elmwood: $0.013 per $1,000 of buildings a year
NRCan’s seismic risk model: the damage shaking is expected to do to buildings each year, on average over many years.
Elmwood’s $0.013 is a fraction of the typical town’s $0.030 (0.4 times as much): quiet ground by Canadian standards.
For earthquake risk, the only official count covers all of the city of Edmonton, Elmwood included.
Shaking damage a year per $1,000 of building value
Typical for its province: Elmwood at $0.013 beside a median in Alberta of $0.013, with Black Diamond on top at $0.048.
NRCan seismic risk model (2022): mean yearly building loss per $1,000 of value; medians of towns of 2,500 people or more.
75% of Canada’s 2,611 towns expect more shaking damage than Elmwood.
Each column: the share of Canada’s towns of 2,500 people or more in that range of yearly loss per $1,000 (NRCan, 2022).
For Elmwood the model prices shaking damage to buildings, nothing more.
Natural Resources Canada, Canada’s Seismic Risk Model (2022), by census subdivision (2016 boundaries; a few 2021 subdivisions take their residents’ mean).
Little radon around Elmwood: 1.4% of area homes over the guideline
Health Canada’s survey of long-term home tests: the share above the 200 Bq/m³ guideline.
At 1.4% over the guideline, the area around Elmwood is under the typical Canadian town’s 6.6%.
Tested homes over 200 Bq/m³
Over 600 Bq/m³
Radon runs lower around Elmwood than in most towns in Alberta: 1.4% against 7.5%.
Health Canada radon survey (2009–2011), by 2007 health region; medians of towns of 2,500 people or more.
Elmwood is in the lowest band, with 37% of Canada’s 2,611 towns: under 5% of tests over the guideline, while 63% have more.
Each bar: the share of Canada’s towns of 2,500 people or more whose survey area had that share of tests over 200 Bq/m³.
A low area share in Elmwood doesn’t clear a house, nor does a high one condemn it: test.
Health Canada, Cross-Canada Survey of Radon Concentrations in Homes (2009–2011). · Radon tests: the Capital Health
Where to get warnings in Elmwood
Environment and Climate Change Canada issues the weather alerts for Elmwood; Alert Ready carries the urgent ones to phones, radio and TV.
| Alert | What it means |
|---|---|
| Warning | Severe weather is happening or about to: act now. |
| Watch | Conditions favour severe weather: be ready. |
| Advisory | Weather that is less severe but could disrupt the day. |
| Special weather statement | Unusual weather worth knowing about. |
| Special air quality statement | Poor air, often wildfire smoke. |
Smoke and fire warnings for Elmwood come through Environment Canada and Alert Ready; the fire map is CWFIS’s.
Weather alerts (ECCC) · Alert Ready · Fire danger and active fires (CWFIS)
How Elmwood’s neighbours compare on hazards
The same four hazards for the places next door.
| Town | Wildfire | Quake $/1,000 | Radon | Flood study |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elmwood | Low | $0.013 | 1.4% | None listed |
| Patricia Heights 4,355 · 0.9 km | Low | $0.013 | 1.4% | Yes |
| West Meadowlark Park 5,386 · 1.1 km | Low | $0.013 | 1.4% | None listed |
| Lynnwood 3,452 · 1.1 km | Low | $0.013 | 1.4% | Yes |
| Meadowlark Park 2,671 · 1.3 km | Low | $0.013 | 1.4% | None listed |
| Thorncliff 3,564 · 1.3 km | Low | $0.013 | 1.4% | None listed |
| Callingwood South 7,844 · 1.8 km | Low | $0.013 | 1.4% | None listed |
Patricia Heights (low) has the heaviest fire record of Elmwood’s neighbours, and Elmwood (low) matches or beats it.
Radon is the survey area’s figure, so neighbours in one area share it.
Get ready for what Elmwood faces
What to do about the hazards Elmwood faces, and what to ask before you buy.
- Test for three months in winter.
- Over 200 Bq/m³: fix it.
- Kits are cheap; pros test too.
- Never drive through floodwater.
- Move papers and medicines upstairs.
- Ask whether your street is mapped.
- Clear needles and wood nearby.
- Keep a grab-and-go bag ready.
- In smoke, stay in; filter air.
- Has it had a radon test?
- Ask the municipality for flood maps.
- Are flood and wildfire insured?
What this data can and can’t tell you
- Earthquakes are modelled. The earthquake figure is an expected loss, not a forecast, worked out by NRCan for each census subdivision, Elmwood’s included.
- Radon is a survey. Radon figures pool the survey’s home tests by area: postal areas once their boundaries arrive, the 2007 health region around Elmwood until then.
- Wildfire counts one way. Burned land within 25 km of where people live, averaged over 1986–2025 and checked for fuel near homes, is the measure; it looks back, not ahead, and only ever counts against Elmwood.
- Flood studies aren’t flood zones. Flood studies cover areas of every size, which is why the page lists them for Elmwood without grading them.
Questions about flooding and hazards in Elmwood
How is Elmwood’s Hazard risk Grade worked out?
Elmwood’s Hazard risk grade is A+, built on earthquakes and radon with a one-sided wildfire input.
How big is the earthquake risk in Elmwood?
About $0.013 a year per $1,000 of building value, NRCan’s long-run expectation for Elmwood.
Is Elmwood at risk of wildfire?
Less than most of Canada: 0% of the land within 25 km of Elmwood has burned since 1986, the last in 2023, a low band that leaves Risk alone.
Is radon a problem in Elmwood?
In Health Canada’s survey, 1.4% of 73 homes tested in Elmwood’s area were above 200 Bq/m³, though only a test tells you about one house.
Does Elmwood flood?
Nothing is listed for Elmwood on the national inventory (0); local maps may still exist with the municipality.
Seismic risk: Natural Resources Canada. Radon: Health Canada. Wildfire: Canadian Wildland Fire Information System. Flood studies: Natural Resources Canada, Canada Flood Map Inventory. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada.
Sources: NRCan, Canada’s Seismic Risk Model 2022 · Health Canada, Cross-Canada Survey of Radon Concentrations in Homes · CWFIS, National Burned Area Composite and FBP fuel types · NRCan, Canada Flood Map Inventory. Under the Statistics Canada Open Licence.
Adapted from Statistics Canada (Census of Population 2021, population estimates 2025, 2021 census boundaries) under the Statistics Canada Open Licence; this does not constitute an endorsement by Statistics Canada. Neighbourhood names in some cities © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL).