Urban street in Christchurch NZ

Great BC Shakeout – October 22, 10:20 am

Duck and cover also works in the office.
Duck and cover also works in the office.

The message from government and public safety agencies have been frequent and to the point. We are at risk from a major damaging earthquake. It may be the overdue subduction earthquake on the Cascadia Fault that could devastate the entire Pacific coast and send a tsunami roaring across the Pacific Ocean as the Pacific Plate slides under the North American plate.  It may be a more local but equally damaging shallow seven point quake on a fault in Georgia Strait.

This is your chance to find out what you need to do to survive, not just the quake event itself, but the aftermath, when all the services and conveniences we take for granted are not available; like running water, electricity, gasoline, undamaged roadways to drive upon, no food in the stores, no stores!

On Thursday, October 20, the Great BC Shakeout happens with the single objective; getting the population ready to survive, revive and thrive in the wake of such an event.

According to the Great British Columbia Shakeout Guide, British Columbia is located in one of the most seismically active regions in the world with more than 3,000 earthquakes occurring every year. While most are too small to be felt, the risk of a major one causing significant damage is real.

Urban street in Christchurch NZ
Urban street in Christchurch NZ

Get prepared by joining in on the drill for Canada’s largest “Drop, Cover and Hold On” earthquake drill. Residents, organizations, businesses, governments and agencies are all encouraged to take part. The more people know about what to do during an earthquake, the better prepared our province will be to respond and recover.

The guide (available online at shakeoutbc.ca) is intended to help people coordinate and run their own ShakeOut drill, which can be done in conjunction with the Great British Columbia ShakeOut on October 20th.

The guide provides four drill options, ranging from simple (Level 1) to advanced (Level 4). Each includes steps that should be taken before, during and after the drill.

Download the guide at shakeoutbc.ca then follow up with a visit to www.gov.bc.ca/preparedbc for information on how to prepare for any number of disasters and events, not just earthquakes.

Are you ready? There’s still time to register in the Shakeout and become prepared to rise above any challenge comes our way.