Terry Farrell

Record staff

Did you feel it?

That was the most oft-asked question of the week from Wednesday evening onward, after Vancouver Island shook from the effects of a 6.6-magnitude earthquake.

According to the United States Geological Survey, the epicentre of the 8:10 p.m. quake was 94 kilometres south of Port Hardy, off the west coast of Vancouver Island, at a depth of approximately 11 km.

There were at least two aftershocks in the hours that followed.

Social media sites were abuzz almost immediately, with photos and videos of swinging chandeliers and rippling drapes. But no major damage was reported.

Paul Berry, District Principal of Health and Safety for the Comox Valley School District and information officer for Comox Valley Ground Search and Rescue, said it could have been much worse.

B次元官网网址淔irst and foremost, Wednesday night was a reminder to everyone that we live in an earthquake zone,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淭his was actually a fairly significant quake.

B次元官网网址淭here certainly have been larger. In 1946 there was an earthquake (7.3 magnitude) in the Valley that did some pretty significant damage. But the difference in the scale when you go from 6.6 to 7, itB次元官网网址檚 extremely significant. And then of course the type of quake, the depth of the quake, all of that makes a difference.B次元官网网址�

Even at the same measurement, a 6.6-magnitude earthquake can be a lot more severe than the one felt Wednesday, depending on depth, lateral versus upthrust movement of the fault, distance from the epicentre, the shape or existence of a ground wave, among other factors.

In short, the Island and its residents got off lucky.

Vancouver Island earthquakes are nothing new. Nor are they rare. There are earthquakes virtually every day along the coast of B.C., although the majority of them are so small, they are only noticeable with seismic equipment. But when one like last weekB次元官网网址檚 rolls along, it gets people talking.

Berry would like to see more than talk.

B次元官网网址淎 quake of this scale tends to be a reminder to people that B次元官网网址榟mmm, maybe thereB次元官网网址檚 something I need to do to be better prepared than I am.B次元官网网址� But likely, three weeks down the line, this episode will be forgotten and people will be no further ahead,B次元官网网址� he said.

B次元官网网址淭hat tends to be the pattern.B次元官网网址�

Berry said it doesnB次元官网网址檛 take much to be prepared, and a little preparation can go a long way towards surviving a major catastrophe.

B次元官网网址淲hat we would hope is that each and every home would take some time to put together some items so they would be self-sufficient at their homes for at least two to three days, even longer,B次元官网网址� he said.

The Comox Valley Emergency Program website (comoxvalleyemergencyprogram.com) has a wealth of information on earthquake preparedness.

B次元官网网址淵our basics B次元官网网址� food, water, a tent for shelter and the ability to cook something, because you might not be able to stay in your home and you might not be able to travel on the roads, should be part of your kit,B次元官网网址� said Berry. B次元官网网址淎ccess to medication that people might need (i.e. insulin, asthma inhalers), those are things people donB次元官网网址檛 think about but itB次元官网网址檚 possible you wouldnB次元官网网址檛 have access to things like that for many days.B次元官网网址�

Berry added that the 72-hour window is a best-case scenario. ItB次元官网网址檚 advisable to be prepared for a much longer period before help arrives; and donB次元官网网址檛 be lulled into a false sense of security based upon location.

B次元官网网址淥ne of the things that people take for granted here in the Comox Valley B次元官网网址� they look at the fact that we have the military base here and if something goes wrong, weB次元官网网址檙e OK. They are right here,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淏ut thatB次元官网网址檚 false. They (military) are going to go where they are asked to go B次元官网网址� to the major population centres. They are going to be called to the Lower Mainland; Victoria maybe.B次元官网网址�

Berry said to use WednesdayB次元官网网址檚 wake-up call as just that. DonB次元官网网址檛 just talk about it; do something about it.

B次元官网网址淭here really is no excuse not to be prepared. ItB次元官网网址檚 just a matter of doing it, and sitting down as a family and talk the plan through B次元官网网址� what you need, where you would put it.B次元官网网址�

editor@comoxvalleyrecord.com