Colwood, B.C., hosts hike to prepare residents for potential tsunami
In Colwood, B.C., there are 35 residential homes in the tsunami inundation zone.
“Most of them are single-family homes just over by the lagoon across the way there,” said Josh Pettigrew, emergency program coordinator with the City of Colwood.
Pettigrew says those homes would be in immediate risk if a tsunami was to hit southern Vancouver Island.
“We have to try to make sure we educate those folks and prepare them as a city to where they need to go and what they need to watch for,” said Pettigrew.
On Friday, Royal Roads University was ground zero for an informational exercise on how far one would have to travel to higher ground to stay safe if a tsunami was on its way – experts say at least 30 metres above sea level.
“There are a couple of natural tsunami warning signs,” said Rachel Schoeler, public education officer with the Ministry of Emergency Management and Climate Readiness.
Schoeler says if you see a sudden rise or fall of the ocean, or hear an unexplained rumble at sea, head to higher ground.
“If you’re near the coast and you experience an earthquake, you will drop, cover and hold on and then once the shaking stops, you’ll head to higher ground,” said Schoeler.
She says there are three steps to being properly prepared in the case of a tsunami. “Knowing your hazards, making your plan and gathering your supplies."
Know what types of emergencies you need to be prepared for. Have a playbook for the actions you are going to taken and have an emergency kit and a grab and go bag ready in case that emergency happens.
Pettigrew urges residents to download the Westshore Alert app through the City of Colwood’s website. It will alert residents to an earthquake as well as if a tsunami warning has been issued.
“Within the last 48 hours, we had small earthquakes off of Port Alice and Port Hardy,” said Pettigrew
It's a common occurrence in this part of the world. Knowing the big one could happen at anytime, Colwood is preparing its residents, especially those living in the tsunami inundation zone.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
What weather experts say to expect this summer in Canada
Get ready to feel the heat, Canada. Weather experts are predicting more sunshine and warmer temperatures for the summer.
New COVID-19 subvariants become the dominant strains in Canada
More than four years after COVID-19 effectively shut down the world, two new variants of COVID-19 have become the dominant strains of the novel coronavirus in Canada.
Israel sends tanks into Rafah on raids amid Gaza-wide offensive
Israeli tanks mounted raids across Rafah in defiance of the World Court for a second day on Wednesday, after Washington said the assault did not amount to a major ground operation in the southern Gazan city that U.S. officials have warned Israel to avoid.
Tessa Virtue reveals she's expecting her first child. Here's what Canadians had to say
Canadian figure-skating icon Tessa Virtue is expecting her first child, she revealed via social media Tuesday.
Five more Ontario school boards join lawsuit against social media platforms
Five additional Ontario school boards and two independent private schools have joined a lawsuit against the owners of multiple social media platforms, including Snapchat, TikTok, and Facebook.
P.E.I. kiteboarder 'lucky to be alive' after shark attack in Turks and Caicos
A professional kiteboarder from P.E.I. says he has been seriously injured in a shark attack that occurred while he was snorkelling in the Turks and Caicos Islands last week.
'Unruly passenger' forces WestJet flight to make emergency landing in B.C.
A WestJet flight heading to Calgary had to make an emergency landing in northern B.C. Monday due to an incident involving an 'unruly passenger,' Mounties say.
In bizarre provocation, North Korea flies trash, manure balloons over the South
North Korea flew hundreds of balloons carrying trash and manure toward South Korea in one of its most bizarre provocations against its rival in years, prompting the South’s military to mobilize chemical and explosive response teams to recover objects and debris in different parts of the country.
Introducing peanut butter during infancy can help protect against a peanut allergy later on, new study finds
New evidence suggests that feeding children smooth peanut butter during infancy and early childhood can help reduce their risk of developing a peanut allergy even years later.