A Quake Cottage simulator will prepare people in Greater Victoria to get ready if a significant earthquake or tsunami hits the area.

B次元官网网址淏.C. is a seismically active area, and we want to increase awareness,B次元官网网址� said Christine Buttkus, executive director of the B.C. Earthquake Alliance.

If emergency services cannot reach you, a grab-and-go bag lasting seven to 14 days will be needed in a significant earthquake event, said Buttkus.

B次元官网网址淭he earthquake simulator is an unforgettable educational experience that weB次元官网网址檙e grateful to be able to bring to potentially vulnerable communities,B次元官网网址� said Naomi Yamamoto, B.C. Earthquake Alliance board chair.

Yamamoto said it is critical to inform vulnerable communities along the Vancouver Island coast to prepare for a tsunami and an earthquake.

The Earthquake Preparedness Tour visited Royal Jubilee Hospital on April 10, hoping to engage locals in what to do when an earthquake occurs in Victoria. Tsunami Preparedness Week is April 14 to 20.

The hospital tour provides earthquake training for medical staff, said Ryan Kuhn, Director of Health Emergency Management.

B次元官网网址淭here might be infrastructure damage, so we are learning to communicate between the different hospitals,B次元官网网址� said Kuhn.

B次元官网网址淧eople in coastal communities need to be ready in case we see one large enough to cause a tsunami,B次元官网网址� B.C.B次元官网网址檚 Emergency Management Minister Bowinn Ma said in a news release.

The tour will include a ShakeOut interactive display, tsunami preparedness education activities and local community support.

The chance that southwest B.C. will experience a significant earthquake over 6.1 on the Richter scale is 30 per cent, according to Aaron Sutherland, vice-president of Pacific & Western, Insurance Bureau of Canada.

B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 not a question of if but when,B次元官网网址� Sutherland said.

Thousands of small earthquakes are felt throughout B.C. each year, and remote, rural areas may need access to the same resources as larger cities and towns.

B次元官网网址淚t will help fill the gaps and ensure we are all better prepared for natural disasters,B次元官网网址� said Josie Osborne, MLA for the Mid-Island-Pacific Rim.

The tour will visit Port Alberni, Tofino, Ucluelet, Ehattesaht and Delta.

More stops are planned throughout the year, but destinations have yet to be announced.

Buttkus said the most important lesson that people can walk away from the Earthquake Preparedness Tour is to remember to drop cover and hold.

B次元官网网址淚t is the most effective response,B次元官网网址� said Buttkius. B次元官网网址淲e recommend a sturdy piece of furniture and to avoid doorways.B次元官网网址�

To learn more about earthquake preparedness and the B.C. Earthquake Alliance, please visit bcearthquakealliance.ca.

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