Photo: Veillg1 · CC0Sainte-Thècle faces few natural hazards: little fire nearby, low seismic risk, radon over the guideline in 0% of tested homes
Little of the land around Sainte-Thècle has burned: 0.1% within 25 km since 1986, or 0.002% a year. Shaking is a bigger worry than in most places, at $0.063 a year per $1,000 of building value ($0.030 typical). Hazard risk gives Sainte-Thècle a grade of A−; its wildfire band pulls it down.
What stands out about Sainte-Thècle’s hazards
Four national sources, each read for Sainte-Thècle: earthquakes, radon, past fires and flood studies.
What Sainte-Thècle faces
Each hazard against its own yardstick; meters run from low to high on that yardstick.
Wildfire
Earthquakes
Radon
Flood study
Sainte-Thècle grades A− for hazard risk
Earthquake risk and radon make Sainte-Thècle’s grade; wildfire can only lower it, never raise it, and flood studies are listed but not scored.
How sure: The seismic figure is a long-run average from NRCan’s model, not a prediction. The radon share rests on 58 home tests in the survey area, so a few homes move it. Small fires and grass fires are largely missing from the national burned-area record.
Wildfire is rare near Sainte-Thècle: 0.1% of the land within 25 km burned since 1986, 0% within 5 km
Past fire around Sainte-Thècle’s homes, from the national burned-area record, with the fuel within 5 km.
In a typical year 0.002% of the land near Sainte-Thècle burns; the typical Canadian town sees 0.000%, and both are low.
Nothing inside 5 km of Sainte-Thècle’s homes has burned since 1986, and the nearest scar is 16 km off.
Forest thickens with distance from Sainte-Thècle: 30% of the land within 5 km, 44% 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 514
At 0.002% a year, Sainte-Thècle is near the top in Quebec: 35th of 514, behind Mistissini (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.
7.5% of Canada’s 2,610 towns burn fast enough to rank moderate or above; Sainte-Thècle stays low, with 92%.
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 Sainte-Thècle
What Canada’s Flood Map Inventory lists for Sainte-Thècle: who studied flooding and where to see their maps.
NRCan’s inventory is silent on Sainte-Thècle, so any flood map would be the municipality’s own.
Towns with a flood study on file
Only 45% of towns in Quebec have a flood study, short of Canada’s 58%, and Sainte-Thècle is not among 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 Sainte-Thècle’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.”
High seismic risk in Sainte-Thècle: $0.063 per $1,000 of buildings a year
Expected yearly building losses from earthquakes, from Natural Resources Canada’s model.
Sainte-Thècle’s $0.063 is about 2.1 times the typical town’s $0.030: it sits in one of Canada’s more active seismic zones.
Shaking damage a year per $1,000 of building value
Earthquake risk in Quebec peaks in La Pocatière ($0.48); Sainte-Thècle, at $0.063, is below the median of $0.14.
NRCan seismic risk model (2022): mean yearly building loss per $1,000 of value; medians of towns of 2,500 people or more.
In the upper part of Canada’s range: 29% of its 2,611 towns expect more damage than Sainte-Thècle.
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).
The model counts damage to Sainte-Thècle’s buildings and their occupants from shaking only: not liquefaction, landslides, tsunami or fires after a quake.
Natural Resources Canada, Canada’s Seismic Risk Model (2022), by census subdivision (2016 boundaries; a few 2021 subdivisions take their residents’ mean).
Radon runs low around Sainte-Thècle: 0% of tested homes over the guideline
Long-term radon tests in homes across the survey area, against Health Canada’s guideline.
Sainte-Thècle’s survey area reads 0% over the guideline, under the typical Canadian town’s 6.6%. Behind radon tests sits data gathered across the Mauricie et Centre-du-Quebec health region, with Sainte-Thècle one part of it.
Tested homes over 200 Bq/m³
Over 600 Bq/m³
Sainte-Thècle’s area, at 0%, is below the median in Quebec (8.2%).
Health Canada radon survey (2009–2011), by 2007 health region; medians of towns of 2,500 people or more.
Few tests over the guideline: Sainte-Thècle 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.
One home in Sainte-Thècle can be high while next door is low; a three-month test settles it.
Health Canada, Cross-Canada Survey of Radon Concentrations in Homes (2009–2011).
Weather and fire alerts for Sainte-Thècle
Environment and Climate Change Canada issues the weather alerts for Sainte-Thècle; 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 Sainte-Thècle, 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)
Hazards in the places around Sainte-Thècle
Wildfire band, earthquake risk, radon and flood studies for each place nearby.
| Town | Wildfire | Quake $/1,000 | Radon | Flood study |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sainte-Thècle | Low | $0.063 | 0% | None listed |
| Lac-aux-Sables 1,463 · 10 km | Low | $0.067 | 0% | None listed |
| Saint-Tite 3,759 · 11 km | Low | $0.095 | 0% | Yes |
Saint-Tite burns a little more than Sainte-Thècle, in the same low band (low here).
Radon is the survey area’s figure, so neighbours in one area share it.
Get ready for what Sainte-Thècle faces
Practical steps for Sainte-Thècle’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
- Flood studies aren’t flood zones. Flood studies cover areas of every size, which is why the page lists them for Sainte-Thècle without grading them.
- Wildfire counts one way. Wildfire is read from the national burned-area record around Sainte-Thècle’s homes since 1986, a history of fire that may lower Risk but never raises it.
- 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 Sainte-Thècle until then.
- Earthquakes are modelled. NRCan models what earthquakes would cost buildings each year on average, subdivision by subdivision; Sainte-Thècle’s figure is its subdivision’s.
Questions about flooding and hazards in Sainte-Thècle
How big is the earthquake risk in Sainte-Thècle?
NRCan’s model expects shaking to cost buildings in Sainte-Thècle $0.063 a year for every $1,000 of their value, on average over many years.
Does Sainte-Thècle flood?
No study on Canada’s Flood Map Inventory covers Sainte-Thècle (0), which doesn’t mean it has never been mapped, so ask the municipality.
How is Sainte-Thècle’s Hazard risk Grade worked out?
Hazard risk gives Sainte-Thècle A−, weighing earthquakes and radon and counting wildfire only against it.
Is radon a problem in Sainte-Thècle?
0% of the 58 homes Health Canada tested around Sainte-Thècle topped the guideline; your own house needs its own test.
Is Sainte-Thècle at risk of wildfire?
Not much by Canadian standards: Sainte-Thècle’s band is low, with 0.1% of the land within 25 km burned since 1986 (last in 2023), so wildfire doesn’t change its grade.
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).