Have you ever wondered what you would do if a major earthquake occurred while you were on the road? The truth is, not a lot of people invest too much time wondering how they would respond to a major earthquake.
The reason is likely because nobody is alive to remember the last major earthquake that happened in our region. It’s easy to ignore a disaster that nobody alive witnessed. So when was the last major earthquake in our region?
Geologists have determined the last major earthquake was in 1700, just over 300 years ago. You can view the information on earthquakes and studies conducted by geologists in the video Monster Quake: Are We Next?
Based on previous earthquakes, there is a major earthquake, on average, every 300 years. That means we are due for a big one at some point soon.
Knowing that a major earthquake will occur in the near future, the best thing anybody can do is prepare. This includes being prepared while on the road. Based on information provided by PreparedBC, each person should be prepared to be on their own for 72 hours by way of a ‘grab and go’ bag.
So what sort of things should be packed in a “grab-and-go” bag? A few things are listed here but you can visit the Build an Emergency Kit website for a complete list.
- Food and water
- Flashlight and batteries
- AM/FM radio
- Medications
Having a kit is very important but another important aspect of earthquake preparation is practice. I’m talking earthquake drills. It’s great to see many employers conducting drills on a yearly basis but I know there are several employers still trying to get around to it.
Employers looking to get started with earthquake drills or looking to continue, should visit ShakeOut BC Day, held on the third Thursday of October. Check the website for resources.
The official 2015 Great Shakeout Earthquake Drill will be October 15 at 10:15 AM. We hope you take part by conducting a drill at your workplace or making the suggestion to participate to management.
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