River Bend faces fewer hazards than 90% of Canadian towns
No wildfire is mapped within 25 km of River Bend’s homes since 1986 (0% of the land, 0.000% a year). NRCan expects $0.020 of shaking damage a year per $1,000 of buildings in River Bend, near the typical $0.030. Fewer homes than usual carry radon here, 1.8% over the guideline where the typical town has 6.6%. Hazard risk gives River Bend a grade of A, from earthquakes and radon alone.
What stands out about River Bend’s hazards
For River Bend, from NRCan’s seismic model, Health Canada’s radon survey, the national burned-area record and the flood map inventory.
What River Bend faces
Each hazard against its own yardstick; meters run from low to high on that yardstick.
Wildfire
Earthquakes
Radon
Flood study
River Bend grades A for hazard risk
Seismic risk and radon set River Bend’s grade, wildfire can drag it down, and flood mapping stays out of it.
Its place: #43 of 866 in Ontario and #347 of 2,589 Canadian towns.
How sure: The seismic figure is a long-run average from NRCan’s model, not a prediction. The burned-area record misses fires under about 10 ha and most grass and farm fires.
Little of the land around River Bend has burned: 0% within 5 km, 0% within 25 km since 1986
Fires mapped since 1986 around where River Bend’s residents live, and the fuel next to their homes.
Low: the land around River Bend burns at 0.000% a year, where the typical Canadian town sees 0.000%.
Little near River Bend’s homes can carry a forest fire; only 1.1% of the land within 5 km is forest fuel, and 0.4% 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 Ontario · highest of 871
Fire has taken almost none of the land around River Bend, as for 638 of the 871 towns in Ontario; Sioux Lookout tops the list at 0.16%.
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.
Only 7.5% of Canada’s 2,610 towns are above the low band, which holds 92%; River Bend, at a rounded zero, is far from them.
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 River Bend
Flood studies whose area touches River Bend, from NRCan’s inventory, each linked to its owner.
Canada’s Flood Map Inventory lists no study whose area touches River Bend, which doesn’t mean it has never been mapped.
Towns with a flood study on file
69% of towns in Ontario have a flood study, more than Canada’s 58%; River Bend is not yet one of them.
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 River Bend’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.”
Expected shaking damage in River Bend: $0.020 a year per $1,000
NRCan’s seismic risk model: the damage shaking is expected to do to buildings each year, on average over many years.
With $0.020 of shaking damage a year per $1,000, River Bend is about even with the typical $0.030 (0.7 times).
Shaking damage a year per $1,000 of building value
At $0.020, River Bend is below the typical town in Ontario ($0.043); Alexandria is highest at $0.21.
NRCan seismic risk model (2022): mean yearly building loss per $1,000 of value; medians of towns of 2,500 people or more.
River Bend sits mid-range among Canada’s 2,611 towns: 64% expect more shaking damage.
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).
What a quake does after the shaking, fire, landslides, tsunami, falls outside NRCan’s figure for River Bend.
Natural Resources Canada, Canada’s Seismic Risk Model (2022), by census subdivision (2016 boundaries; a few 2021 subdivisions take their residents’ mean). · Area behind the earthquake risk figures: the city of London
Little radon around River Bend: 1.8% of area homes over the guideline
Health Canada’s survey of long-term home tests: the share above the 200 Bq/m³ guideline. · Area-wide: radon tests, counted over the Middlesex-London Health Unit
River Bend’s survey area reads 1.8% over the guideline, under the typical Canadian town’s 6.6%.
Tested homes over 200 Bq/m³
Over 600 Bq/m³
River Bend’s area, at 1.8%, is below the median in Ontario (4%).
Health Canada radon survey (2009–2011), by 2007 health region; medians of towns of 2,500 people or more.
Few tests over the guideline: River Bend shares the bottom band with 37% of Canada’s 2,611 towns, below the other 63%.
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.
Neighbouring homes in River Bend can differ a lot; only a long-term test tells you about yours.
Health Canada, Cross-Canada Survey of Radon Concentrations in Homes (2009–2011).
Where to get warnings in River Bend
Environment and Climate Change Canada issues the weather alerts for River Bend; 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. |
For fires near River Bend, the national fire information system maps danger and active fires daily; local authorities give any evacuation order.
Weather alerts (ECCC) · Alert Ready · Fire danger and active fires (CWFIS)
How River Bend’s neighbours compare on hazards
The same four hazards for the places next door.
| Town | Wildfire | Quake $/1,000 | Radon | Flood study |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| River Bend | Low | $0.020 | 1.8% | None listed |
| Byron 15,277 · 3.1 km | Low | $0.020 | 1.8% | None listed |
| Oakridge 16,247 · 3.5 km | Low | $0.020 | 1.8% | None listed |
| Hyde Park 14,769 · 4.2 km | Low | $0.020 | 1.8% | None listed |
| Middlesex Centre 21,689 · 4.3 km | Low | $0.018 | 1.8% | Yes |
| Westmount 19,591 · 5.7 km | Low | $0.020 | 1.8% | None listed |
| Medway 18,922 · 6.2 km | Low | $0.020 | 1.8% | None listed |
None of the places around has more fire nearby than River Bend (low); Byron comes closest (low).
Radon is the survey area’s figure, so neighbours in one area share it.
Get ready for what River Bend faces
Practical steps for River Bend’s hazards, most pressing first.
- 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
- Radon is a survey. The radon share comes from about 14,000 long-term home tests in 2009–2011, pooled for now by the 2007 health region River Bend sits in.
- Wildfire counts one way. For River Bend, wildfire means how much nearby land burned in the past forty years, a one-way input that can pull Risk down and nothing more.
- Flood studies aren’t flood zones. A study’s area can be a whole watershed or province, so being on the inventory says a map exists, not that a home in River Bend floods.
- Earthquakes are modelled. Seismic risk is NRCan’s model of yearly building losses from shaking, averaged over many years and given for River Bend’s census subdivision (a neighbourhood shows its city’s).
Questions about flooding and hazards in River Bend
Does River Bend flood?
No study on Canada’s Flood Map Inventory covers River Bend (0), which doesn’t mean it has never been mapped, so ask the municipality.
Is River Bend at risk of wildfire?
The burned-area record shows next to nothing around River Bend (0% within 25 km since 1986), so its band is low.
Is radon a problem in River Bend?
1.8% of the 110 homes Health Canada tested around River Bend topped the guideline; your own house needs its own test.
How is River Bend’s Hazard risk Grade worked out?
River Bend’s Hazard risk grade is A, built on earthquakes and radon with a one-sided wildfire input.
How big is the earthquake risk in River Bend?
About $0.020 a year per $1,000 of building value, NRCan’s long-run expectation for River Bend.
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).