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B.C. gets ready for annual ShakeOut earthquake drill

The province sees about 3,000 earthquakes each year, most of which aren91ÂãÁÄÊÓƵ™t felt
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A student takes shelter under her table at school as part of the annual ShakeOut earthquake drill. The 2023 drill is Thursday, Oct. 19 at 10:19 a.m. (Black Press file photo)

Are you prepared for an earthquake?

On Thursday (Oct. 19), at 10:19 a.m., the annual ShakeOut event will take place across the province as a reminder to B.C. residents on what to do during an earthquake.

that if you receive an alert or feel the ground shake, to immediately drop cover and hold. When the shaking stops, count to 60 before getting up to give displaced objects a chance to settle.

Emergency Management Minister Bowinn Ma said in a news release that B.C. experiences about 3,000 earthquakes each year, but most of those aren91ÂãÁÄÊÓƵ™t felt. Across Canada, there are about 4,000 earthquakes each year.

91ÂãÁÄÊÓƵœWith the ever-present threat of an earthquake anywhere in the province, it is critical that people know what to do when one hits.91ÂãÁÄÊÓƵ

There have been four magnitude 7.0 or greater earthquakes in the past 130 years in southwestern B.C. and north Washington State.

Earlier this year, the province put its earthquake-response strategy and overall emergency preparedness to the test, with a large-scale earthquake response exercise. During the three-day training, hundreds of emergency management personnel responded to a simulated catastrophic 6.8-magnitude earthquake in the Lower Mainland.

B.C. is also a partner with the federal government91ÂãÁÄÊÓƵ™s Canada91ÂãÁÄÊÓƵ™s Earthquake Early Warning system. Sensors will be installed along the coast and throughout the province, and by spring 2024 the federal government will be able to issue alerts to mobile devices, radios and televisions to warn of a potentially harmful earthquake.

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Lauren Collins

About the Author: Lauren Collins

I'm a provincial reporter for Black Press Media's provincial team, after my journalism career took me around B.C. since I was 19 years old.
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