A minor 4.6-magnitude earthquake shook the ground 45 miles southwest of Sandspit, B.C. on Monday morning. No damage was reported and no tsunami warning followed; most people probably didn’t even know it was happening. For the month of February, there have been over 20 minor quakes in the same area ranging from 2.2 to 3.7 on the Richter scale.
But what if it was another 7.7-magnitude earthquake like the one that hit Haida Gwaii (formerly called the Queen Charlotte Islands) in B.C. in October, 2012? That quake came with a tsunami warning and was followed by a 6.4-magnitude aftershock. It took over 40 minutes for coastal communities to be alerted of the warnings. The quake highlighted the need for the province to deliver information to people in the area more quickly.
Was the call heard loud enough?
After the quake in October, Emergency Management B.C. (EMBC) modified and enhanced its notification process. Now when they get an alert directly from the West Coast and Alaska Tsunami Warning Centre it is forwarded to a priority emergency e-mail distribution list that includes authorities and first responders, as well as major media outlets. They also get information out on their Twitter account, mobile-friendly blog, and other social media accounts as quickly as possible.
When Alaska was jolted by a 7.5-magnitude quake in January of this year, setting off tsunami warnings near Vancouver Island including the City of Victoria, the new EMBC process was put into effect and bulletins were issued to residents within five minutes. EMBC also updated its Twitter account promptly and frequently, keeping people in the know as to what was happening and reducing worry and panic.
Are you ready?
It’s not just the government that needs to be ready if and when the ‘big one’ hits. The best way to ensure the safety of you and your family during an earthquake is to be better prepared at home. EMBC has a handy checklist of items for an emergency earthquake kit and recommends doing practice drills. There’s also the annual Great British Columbia ShakeOut, which will teach people and organizations how to survive and recover quickly from an earthquake disaster.
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SOUND OFF: Do you feel the government is doing enough to prepare for a big earthquake? Are you ready for one? Let us know on our Facebook page.
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