Frequently asked questions about Radar^TM

Radar is a weather alert service available in The Personal’s mobile app. If there’s a risk of severe weather that could damage your home and belongings, you’ll get an alert.

How to get Radar:

• Download the mobile app
• Go to the Radar section
• Register your watch locations (in Canada only)

Let Radar watch the weather for you!

Note: To receive alerts, your device must be powered on and connected to a cellular network.

If you have an iOS or Android smartphone or tablet, you can download the app and use Radar.

Radar watches for the following risks:

• Hail (2.5 cm or larger)
• Heavy rain
• High wind
• Wildfire
• Tornadoe
• Hurricane

If Radar detects a weather risk for one of your watch locations, you’ll get an alert.

Weather apps usually provide regional forecasts. Radar can pinpoint severe weather risks for a specific location. The Personal* is the first P&C insurer in Canada to offer such highly localized weather alerts.

* All Desjardins General Insurance Group subsidiaries offer this type of service.

The government’s Alert Ready system issues emergency alert messages on wireless networks, radio and TV to warn of life-threatening situations, so you can take action to keep yourself and your family safe.

Government emergency alerts sent over wireless networks are issued for defined geographic areas, which may be limited to a few city blocks. Alerts are only sent to people within the affected area.

The possible types of alert are fire, natural disaster, biological threat, hazardous materials, environmental disaster, terrorist threat, civil crisis, Amber Alert (missing child) and test messages.

For details, visit alertready.ca.

Radar doesn’t use geolocation to track your position in real-time. However, you can use this option to find and register a location (for instance, if you want Radar to watch your mom’s condo, but you can’t remember the postal code). Radar only watches the locations you register in the mobile app.

No. Radar uses very little mobile data.

It depends on the type of weather event. You’ll get an alert up to:

• 30 minutes ahead of time for risks of hail or tornado
• 3 hours ahead of time for risks of heavy rain
• 12 hours ahead of time for risks of high winds
• 24 hours ahead of time for risks of hurricane

For a wildfire risk, we will send a notification when the Natural Resources Canada’s Fire Weather Index reaches very high for the first time.

You will receive another notification if there is an active wildfire detected within 20 km of one of your locations.

You can choose to get alerts by push notification, text (SMS) or email. Note: if all of your communication channels are deactivated, you won’t get alerts.

No. However, your phone service provider may charge you for incoming texts (SMS) if they’re not included in your plan.

No. We created Radar to help you prevent certain types of damage when possible. You should never put your safety at risk during a weather event.

Remember that as a policyholder, you’re covered by your insurance policy. To check your coverage, go to the Insurance section of the app.

Go to the Radar section of the mobile app to change, delete or add a location.

Just go to the Radar section of the app and select Edit my settings, then turn off all events with the deactivated button.

No. Radar has no effect on our claims process. Don’t worry—whatever alerts you get, you’ll still be entitled to the coverage in your insurance policy.

To check your coverage, go to the Insurance section of the app.

If possible:

• Park your vehicle in a garage or under a carport.
• Put away or cover your patio furniture, barbecue, etc.
• Cover your plants and flowers.

Once the hail starts:

• Take shelter and stay indoors until the storm passes.
• Keep away from glass doors, windows and skylights, which can shatter.

If you live in an area at risk of flooding:

• Move furniture and other items from the basement to a higher floor or raise them onto Styrofoam blocks or panels.
• Plug the basement sewer drain.
• Cut the electricity supply to your home. Only do this if the area around the electrical panel is dry. When water and electrical wires come into contact, it can cause serious injury or death.
• Leave your house if authorities order an evacuation. You’ll avoid putting yourself and others in danger.
• In the event of a flood, wait for help. Never try to walk or drive through a flooded street because you could get injured.

If possible:

• Store or secure anything that could get blown around (patio furniture, planters, trampoline, etc.).
• Close the doors of your temporary garage, if you have one.
• Remove the canvas from gazebos and close awnings to avoid damage.

During the storm:

• Take shelter and stay indoors until the storm passes.
• Keep away from glass doors and windows.
• If there’s a power outage, unplug electrical appliances to prevent damage from a power surge when power is restored (just don’t forget to plug the refrigerator and freezer back in).

Here are some tornado safety tips from Public Safety Canada.

If you’re in a house:

• Go to the basement and take shelter in a small interior room.
• If you don’t have a basement, take shelter in an interior room on the ground floor, like a bathroom, closet or hallway
• Stay away from windows, outside doors and walls.
• Stay on the ground, protect your head and watch out for flying debris.

If you’re driving:

• Go to the nearest solid shelter.
• If the tornado is very close, get out of your car and take shelter in a ditch.
• Don’t chase tornadoes. They are unpredictable and can change course.

Here are some hurricane safety tips from Public Safety Canada.

If possible:

• Store or secure anything that could get blown around (patio furniture, planters, trampoline, etc.).
• Stock up on water and ready-to-eat food.
• Prepare battery-operated equipment (flashlight, radio, etc.) and make sure you have extra batteries.
• Make sure there’s enough gasoline in the car.

If you live on the coast or in a low-lying area near the coast:

• If you’re ordered to evacuate, move inland and to higher ground.

During the storm:

• Stay in a safe place away from the storm.

5 useful tips if you live in a risk zone

1. Around your home and outbuildings (within 1.5 metres of outside walls): Rake up and get rid of any accumulation of pine needles, dead leaves and wood/bark/cedar chips.
2. Lawn and yard: Mow dry grass and weeds, and water your lawn if permitted. If you have any evergreens on your property, trim branches so that the lowest ones are 2 metres above ground. Clean up piles of needles at tree bases.
3. Balconies and wooden decks: Sweep the surfaces or use a power washer to remove dead leaves and pine needles on, under or between deck boards.
4. Flammable objects and materials: Move building materials and firewood ideally 10 metres away from any structure (or store them indoors).
5. Gutters and roof: Remove any accumulation of dead leaves, pine needles and other debris. Trim any tree branches near your roof by taking the necessary protective measures.

For more tips on how to protect your home, visit our blog.

Making sure you and your loved ones are safe is what matters most

Tune in to local media and follow social media to get the latest on the regional wildfire situation. Also get informed about warnings or evacuation alerts issued by local authorities.

• Know the main evacuation routes and alternative routes.
• Learn more about how to prepare for a wildfire by visiting GetPrepared.gc.ca.

5 useful tips for protecting your property

If you have enough time and you’re able to do so safely, these small actions can make your home much less vulnerable to a wildfire.

1. Double check decks, balconies and the perimeter of all buildings: Remove flammable objects (e.g., patio furniture, brooms, firewood, recycling bins, propane tanks) around, on or under these structures. Put these objects, as well as machinery and RVs/ATVs at least 10 metres away from any building. Store valuable items indoors in a safe and proper location.
2. Block ember entry sites: Identify openings outside your home (e.g., attic vents, loose soffits, and gaps around doors and windows or at ground level). Repair them with 3 mm screening or cover them temporarily with duct or metal tape, if you can do so safely.
3. Trim grass and weeds: Mow grass within 5 metres of all structures and along wooden fences and borders. Make sure to rake up and dispose of cuttings, pine needles, leaves, dead branches and trimmings at least 10 metres away from your home.
4. Connect garden hoses to outside water valves: Make sure they can be easily accessed by firefighters and that they are long enough to reach all corners of your property.
5. Close your windows if you leave your home.

For more tips on how to protect your home, visit our blog.

We only collect the geographic positions corresponding to the watch locations you register.

All data is anonymized. We only share geographic positions (not associated with users) with our partner, IBM’s The Weather Company.