Photo: Pymouss · CC BY-SA 4.0La Présentation’s hazards at a glance: a low wildfire record and 8.2% of area homes over the radon guideline
Wildfire barely registers for La Présentation, at 0% of the land within 25 km since 1986 (0.001% a year). Earthquakes add more: NRCan’s model puts building losses at $0.15 a year per $1,000 of value, against $0.030 for the typical town. La Présentation grades C for hazard risk; wildfire is low here, so it earns no credit.
What stands out about La Présentation’s hazards
For La Présentation, from NRCan’s seismic model, Health Canada’s radon survey, the national burned-area record and the flood map inventory.
What La Présentation faces
Each hazard against its own yardstick; meters run from low to high on that yardstick.
Wildfire
Earthquakes
Radon
Flood study
Hazard risk in La Présentation: C
Seismic risk and radon set La Présentation’s grade, wildfire can drag it down, and flood mapping stays out of it.
Its place: #266 of 507 in Quebec and #2,219 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.
Wildfire is rare near La Présentation: 0% of the land within 25 km burned since 1986, 0% within 5 km
Fires mapped since 1986 around where La Présentation’s residents live, and the fuel next to their homes.
With 0.001% burned a year, La Présentation is among the many low-band places (the typical Canadian town 0.000%).
The 5 km ring around La Présentation’s homes is clear of burns since 1986, the nearest 12 km out.
Near or far, forest fuel covers a similar share around La Présentation: 6.5% within 5 km and 2.1% 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 Quebec · highest of 513
La Présentation burns at 0.001% a year, 136th of 513 towns in Quebec; the leader, Mistissini, reaches 0.31%.
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.
Low, like 92% of the country’s 2,610 towns: the land around La Présentation burns, but slower than in the 7.5% above it.
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 La Présentation
Flood studies whose area touches La Présentation, from NRCan’s inventory, each linked to its owner.
There is no study for La Présentation on the national flood inventory, which is far from complete.
Towns with a flood study on file
Mapping in Quebec reaches 45% of towns, below the 58% across Canada, and not La Présentation.
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 La Présentation’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.”
Earthquakes cost buildings in La Présentation $0.15 per $1,000 a year
NRCan’s seismic risk model: the damage shaking is expected to do to buildings each year, on average over many years.
Roughly 5 times the typical $0.030: La Présentation’s $0.15 marks real seismic exposure.
Shaking damage a year per $1,000 of building value
Shaking damage around La Présentation runs at $0.15 a year, near the $0.14 of the typical town in Quebec; La Pocatière has $0.48.
NRCan seismic risk model (2022): mean yearly building loss per $1,000 of value; medians of towns of 2,500 people or more.
More earthquake risk than most: only 19% of Canada’s 2,611 towns are above La Présentation.
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 La Présentation 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).
Some radon around La Présentation: 8.2% of area homes over the guideline
Health Canada’s survey of long-term home tests: the share above the 200 Bq/m³ guideline.
Around La Présentation, 8.2% of tested homes topped the guideline, near the typical Canadian town’s 6.6%. Behind radon tests sits data gathered across the Monteregie health region, with La Présentation one part of it.
Tested homes over 200 Bq/m³
Over 600 Bq/m³
Radon around La Présentation is ordinary for towns in Quebec: 8.2%, beside a median of 8.2%.
Health Canada radon survey (2009–2011), by 2007 health region; medians of towns of 2,500 people or more.
37% of Canada’s 2,611 towns share La Présentation’s band of 5 to 10%; 26% sit higher.
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.
Radon varies from house to house in La Présentation, so the survey is a reason to test, not a result for yours.
Health Canada, Cross-Canada Survey of Radon Concentrations in Homes (2009–2011).
Where to get warnings in La Présentation
Environment and Climate Change Canada issues the weather alerts for La Présentation; 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 La Présentation, 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 La Présentation’s neighbours compare on hazards
The same four hazards for the places next door.
| Town | Wildfire | Quake $/1,000 | Radon | Flood study |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| La Présentation | Low | $0.15 | 8.2% | None listed |
| Sainte-Madeleine 2,387 · 7.2 km | Low | $0.16 | 8.2% | None listed |
| Saint-Hyacinthe 60,874 · 7.7 km | Low | $0.15 | 8.2% | Yes |
| Sainte-Marie-Madeleine 2,940 · 8.9 km | Low | $0.16 | 8.2% | Yes |
| Saint-Barnabé-Sud 1,053 · 11 km | Low | $0.15 | 8.2% | Yes |
| Saint-Charles-sur-Richelieu 1,867 · 11 km | Low | $0.16 | 8.2% | Yes |
| Saint-Jude 1,402 · 13 km | Low | $0.14 | 8.2% | Yes |
None of the places around has more fire nearby than La Présentation (low); Sainte-Madeleine comes closest (low).
Radon is the survey area’s figure, so neighbours in one area share it.
Get ready for what La Présentation faces
Practical steps for La Présentation’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.
- Drop, cover and hold on.
- Strap the water heater down.
- Keep 72 hours of supplies.
- Has it had a radon test?
- Ask the municipality for flood maps.
- Are flood and wildfire insured?
- Is earthquake cover included?
What this data can and can’t tell you
- 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 La Présentation until then.
- Wildfire counts one way. For La Présentation, 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. Flood studies cover areas of every size, which is why the page lists them for La Présentation without grading them.
- Earthquakes are modelled. Seismic risk is NRCan’s model of yearly building losses from shaking, averaged over many years and given for La Présentation’s census subdivision (a neighbourhood shows its city’s).
Questions about flooding and hazards in La Présentation
How is La Présentation’s Hazard risk Grade worked out?
Hazard risk gives La Présentation C, weighing earthquakes and radon and counting wildfire only against it.
Is La Présentation at risk of wildfire?
Some, but La Présentation’s low band (0% of nearby land burned since 1986, latest 2021) is short of the level that counts.
Does La Présentation flood?
The inventory has 0 studies for La Présentation, and an empty list isn’t a clean bill: the municipality holds any flood maps.
Is radon a problem in La Présentation?
The area’s survey found 8.2% of 110 tested homes above Health Canada’s guideline, so a three-month test is worth doing in La Présentation.
How big is the earthquake risk in La Présentation?
Expected earthquake damage in La Présentation comes to $0.15 a year for each $1,000 that buildings are worth.
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).