If you want to be better prepared for a tsunami in your community, take a hike this week.
As part of Tsunami Preparedness Week, communities from Port Hardy to Victoria are hosting ‘high ground hikes’ to help people get familiar with where they should go in the event of a tidal wave.
One event is happening today in Tahsis. Tofino and Ucluelet have already had theirs.
Salt Spring Island will be holding their event on Friday.
Each event is community-specific, and will let people learn about their local emergency plan and evacuation route.
If there isn’t an event in your community, there are still a host of useful tips from the provincial emergency program about how to make sure you and your family are ready.
In the event of a tsunami, people at risk will receive an alert to their cellphone, TV and radio stations through B.C.’s emergency alert system. In addition to these alerts, other tools may be used to warn people, including coastal siren systems, local government emergency alerts and social media, including @EmergencyInfoBC on X.
Take action to prepare for a tsunami:
- Become familiar with local evacuation routes and high ground locations.
- Once at high ground, stay there. Wait for the “all clear” from local officials to confirm the threat is over. Tsunami waves can last several hours.
- Find out how your community shares emergency information and subscribe to local alerts. Alerting methods include radio, television, telephone, text messages, door-to-door contact, social media and outdoor sirens.
- Always follow instructions from local officials during an emergency.
The province has posted a list of hikes this week, visit their website for more details about an event near you.
