B.C. earthquake drill event set for Oct. 17

Canada’s largest earthquake preparedness drill is set for Oct. 17.

As part of this year’s Great British Columbia ShakeOut, thousands of BCers will “drop, cover and hold on” as part of an earthquake drill, with other similar events taking place worldwide and drawing millions of participants.

Last year, there were more than 590,000 participants in the Canadian event.

B.C.’s event, led by the B.C. Earthquake Alliance and the Insurance Bureau of Canada, is set for Oct. 17 at 10:17 a.m. The province of British Columbia has also officially proclaimed Oct. 17 ShakeOut BC Day.

“Hundreds of thousands of people up and down North America’s earthquake-prone west coast have already registered to participate,” said Teron Moore, co-chair of the Great BC ShakeOut organizing committee. “The ShakeOut drill is also a great time to review and update your emergency plans and supplies, so you can further minimize damage and injuries when an earthquake hits.”

IBC recently commissioned a study on earthquake risk in Canada and its implications for the insurance industry, with the report set to be published at the end of this month.

“Earthquakes can strike anywhere at any time. Although we cannot predict when the next big one will hit, we can prepare,” noted Bill Adams, IBC’s vice president for the Western & Pacific region. “You can practice protecting yourself from an earthquake by annually participating in the BC ShakeOut drill, having an emergency plan and kit at the ready to protect your family for at least 72 hours.”

Participants can register for the ShakeOut online.