FEBRUARY 25, 2013 British Columbia felt a couple of rumblers off the coast of Haida Gwaii yesterday and today, with a 4.5-magnitude earthquake this morning – no tsunami warning issued. According to Earthquakes Canada, today’s quake happened at 5.41 a.m., about 52 kilometres south-southwest of Queen Charlotte City and 152 kilometres from the town of …
A reader posed a question: how long is it safe to keep emergency water before replacing it? Water is the single most important emergency supply item. We can survive for weeks without food, but only four days without water. The recommended amount of water to store is 1 gallon (4 litres) per person per day. For a family of …
This week, I’ve moved on to packing various kinds of earthquake preparedness kits. My to-do list includes packing school comfort kits, a car kit, 72-hour ”bug-out” knapsacks (in case we have to leave the house in a hurry) and “bug-in” kits with supplies if we’re at home but cut off from regular sources of food, water, heat etc. I’ve been motivated …
We love food, and spend a lot of time in our kitchen. However, it’s one of the most dangerous places to be in an earthquake, mostly because of items which fly out of cupboards and shelves and smash into shards on the floor. Check out this video with a simulation of an earthquake in a kitchen, showing what happens when cupboard doors fly open, vs. …
Reblogged from National Post | Arts: Into That Darkness By Steven Price Thomas Allen Publishers 240 pp; $22.95 Reviewed by Robert J. Wiersema The world changes in an instant, shuddering and crumbling without warning. Those of us fortunate enough to be at a distance have watched it happen recently, in Haiti, Japan and elsewhere. We’ve …
Tonight we had just finished dinner, when suddenly the lights flickered, then the power went out. Looking out the window, we saw that the whole neighbourhood was blacked out. The windy night had probably knocked a tree branch into wires somewhere, we figured. We haven’t had this happen in years. Light and heat were our …
Word is that the earthquake we’re expecting on the West Coast will be way worse than anything we’ve seen before in North America. This article claims Hurricane Sandy will be Dwarfed by Earthquake.
There’s a scary old saying: “Earthquakes don’t kill people – houses kill people.” Earthquake damage to a home can range from pictures falling off walls and plates flying out of cupboards to chimneys collapsing and houses falling off their foundations. Yikes.
Something unexpected happened this morning. It helped me remember one of the most important things we’ll have going for us when the Big One hits the West Coast. I’d just gotten baby down for his morning nap when there was a knock on the door.
This week’s news revealed that not all of us still choose “burying our heads in the sand” as our disaster preparation method of choice. I was impressed to hear that a tribe on the West Coast of Vancouver Island is moving their village further up the beach in case of a tsunami. They’re in a … Continue reading »
How can condo owners get prepared for the massive earthquake expected on the West Coast? The Globe and Mail had an interesting feature yesterday- here’s the link. I also read an article over the holidays which offered a peek inside the world of “preppers” in British Columbia. Some people are REALLY into it. Like the … Continue reading »
I felt the earthquake last night in Victoria just after 10:30 pm. Initially, I thought a strong wind had rattled the windows. Paul came in from outside a few minutes later, and I asked him if a windstorm was coming up. He said “Actually, it’s beautiful and calm out there.” I was puzzled, but didn’t figure it … Continue reading »
I don’t know why, but I always assume the big earthquake will happen in the middle of the night. But of course, it’s just as likely to happen in the middle of the day when we are all separated at school, work, etc.. I’ll have to try hard not to imagine the worst until I’m certain everyone is okay. Normal ways … Continue reading »
Just back from a late-night, post-earthquake run down to the corner for water. Turns out I wasn’t the only one. I felt lucky to get the last three large containers on the shelf. And as I left, I overheard a grocery store employee talking with a customer – they were both agreeing that they felt … Continue reading »
Another one, at 6 pm tonight!! These earthquakes seem to be coming closer to Victoria. Is that how quakes work? Do they rumble on down the fault line? I’ll look into that. And maybe I’ll just jump ahead a few steps in my brilliant 12-month planning schedule, and go load up on water on my … Continue reading »
I decided to start with a walk-through of our house to note potential hazards in case of earthquakes. If you want to do the same, here’s a link to a checklist you can use. I started in the bedrooms. Beds away from windows? Check. Tall bookcases already have safety straps attached, but are not attached to walls. Oops. Living areas: quite … Continue reading »
Let’s break the many aspects of disaster prep into manageable chunks. Every month or so, I’m going to propose a topic, followed by a number of “prep step” actions that will chip away at the preparation process. In my case, this is earthquake planning, but depending on where you live you may want to think it through … Continue reading »
From TheEpicenter.com – a site with a huge selection of survival food/equipment and supplies. Just in case you ever need to charge your cell phone with a pot of boiling water… Never imagined anything quite like this. Hey, look at all the pretty flames! Just in case there isn’t any electricity for home entertainment, a … Continue reading »
Okay, right after I finish getting us all set for that earthquake, I’ll start worrying about the Zombie Apocalypse. –Actually, the zombie thing is just a fun cover for a very enthusiastic disaster readiness service group. Some fun reads on this site. These people will be the ones laughing if something really hits th Continue reading »
So we’re supposed to be ready to make it through the first 72 hours without help. Many survival guides online include lists of things you should have on hand, in your car, or in a bin in the yard, etc. Looking around the internet, there seems to be a huge range of earthquake kits out … Continue reading »
This is freaky. It’s a map of Victoria which shows the relative hazards related to natural disasters. Is your house built on rock, or just where there used to be a bog? If the earthquakes hits just wrong, is it possible that the ground may turn to mud and your house slip around? You may … Continue reading »
Here is what our family of four has stockpiled in our front hall closet. It contains two 4-litre containers of water, and a bag with a first aid kit, emergency blankets, toilet paper, crank radio, candles, matches and flashlight. The idea is that we grab it as we flee out the front door. Presuming we … Continue reading »
Sharing this information about an upcoming opportunity in #yyj at Margaret Jenkins School, Victoria. A great opportunity for parents to get info about preparing for emergencies. Wednesday, February 6th – 7pm-8pm talk by Rob Johns, City of Victoria Emergency Preparedness You’re invited to come as early as 6pm and onwards for coffee and conversation. Now … Continue reading »
I guess the holidays are over for our local (#yyj and #yvr) fault lines! some info about last night’s earthquake, from the Victoria Times Colonist: Mild 4.4 magnitude earthquakes hits Vancouver Island off coast of Tofino Yet another earthquake has gone bump in the night off Vancouver Island.The U.S. Geological Survey says this one had … Continue reading »
7.5 magnitude earthquake this morning off the BC and Alaska coast- you can read about it at the CBC through this link. There was initial concern about tsunami waves, but the warning was cancelled shortly afterwards. We have been lucky that these recent quakes have happened that far north — but there seem to be … Continue reading »
There’s a new Ipsos Reid poll which suggests that 10% of global citizens and 9% of Canadians think the world will end this Dec 21, when the Mayan calendar fizzles out. So 9% of us really believe this? Golly gee, are Canadians really that well-educated about obscure ancient calendars dug out of rock piles? Or … Continue reading »
In a few days, a new building code will come into effect in BC. It includes new standards for bracing house walls to prevent damage from earthquakes. The Illustrated Guide for Seismic Design of Houses has lots of technical info, diagrams and step-by-step graphics. It’s intended for designers and architects, but a quick glance-over by homeowners can lend some … Continue reading »
The British Columbia government is upgrading its tsunami warning plans following delays broadcasting emergency information after a magnitude 7.7 earthquake last month. After the quake struck off the west coast of Haida Gwaii on Oct. 27 at 8:04 p.m. PT, emergency officials in B.C. did not issue any sort of tsunami alert or advisory for … Continue reading »
