Just as Metro Vancouver cleans up from a major windstorm, a new report paints a grim picture of what could happen if a major earthquake hits the area.
The report from Emergency Management BC says a strong earthquake with an epicentre under the city could kill 10,000 people, injure 128,000 and cause widespread devastation. That scenario was used as the basis for the provincial government’s emergency earthquake plan.
READ MORE: New Yorker article warns massive earthquake will hit Pacific Northwest
“It’s not if a major earthquake is going to happen, it’s when,” said Naomi Yamamoto, B.C.’s Minister of State for Emergency Preparedness.
“We need to make sure that as a province we show leadership in being prepared. We need to also let folks know at home and at work that they need to also have a level of preparedness that’s probably a little better than what we’ve seen in the last week or so.”
Earlier this year a scathing report by the auditor general said B.C. is not ready for a catastrophic quake.
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