The Yukon is a stunningly beautiful region of Canada — but the land is not without its hazards. According to the federal government, residents who live in the Yukon are at risk of experiencing the following:
Avalanches, earthquakes and landslides
The Yukon is particularly susceptible to earthquakes, avalanches and landslides, which have been known to demolish structures, or at the very least, cause them to become structurally unsound.
Regions at highest risk: Several mountain ranges intersect throughout the Yukon, making most the territory vulnerable to these types of events.
Flooding
Floods will infiltrate and wreak havoc on your home. In the Yukon, they usually occur due to rapidly melting snow in the spring, or from ice jams on the rivers. Flooding is expected to become an even bigger hazard in the Yukon as climate change intensifies.
Regions at highest risk: The Yukon government has highlighted Dawson City, Carmacks, Old Crow, Ross River, Mayo, Southern Lakes, Lake Laberge, Pelly Crossing and Whitehorse as being at high risk for flooding.
Wildfires
There have been some serious wildfires in the Yukon recently. Hot, dry weather meant the 2017 wildfire season in the Yukon was a particularly active one: there were 115 wildfires in total, burning a total of 471,000 hectares of forest.
Regions at highest risk: Nearly every region in the Yukon is at risk for wildfires, according to the Government of Canada, however, the regions most at risk are south of the treeline.