There’s a one-in-10 chance the Big One will hit B.C. in the next 50 years — but are you really prepared?
If not, today might be the day to put your plan to survive a catastrophic earthquake into action.
British Columbians will be encouraged to drop, cover, and hold on, during this year’s annual Great B.C. Shakeout at 10:18 a.m. on Thursday. It’s an annual earthquake preparedness exercise.
“In a quake … it could be a week until we get full resources to support community,” Daniel Stevens, the director of emergency management with the City of Vancouver, said. “[Making sure you] have supplies with you whether it’s water, food or radio, those kinds of things are critical to store ahead of time.”
More than 3,000 earthquakes are recorded in B.C. each year, and while most are too small to be felt, officials want people to be ready for when the inevitable “Big One” does hit.
On June 23, 1946, a 7.3-magnitude earthquake struck Vancouver Island, killing two people.