A majority of British Columbians expect a powerful earthquake to hit the region in the coming decades, but fewer than half of them have an emergency kit, according to a new poll.
The survey, conducted by Research Co., found that just 46 per cent of British Columbians had bought or prepared an emergency kit with supplies they would need in the event of a disaster.
That’s despite 76 per cent saying an earthquake strong enough to damage buildings was either “very” or “moderately” likely to happen in the next 50 years.
Other disasters that British Columbians said they were concerned about included fires (79 per cent), high winds (65 per cent) and intense rainfall (61 per cent).
The survey also found that about two in five British Columbians had prepared an emergency plan that includes how to connect with family or friends in an emergency, and just over a third had a set meeting place for family and friends in the event of a disaster.
The poll was conducted between May 2 and 5 and included 800 adult British Columbians. It has a margin of error of 3.5 per cent, 19 times out of 20.