Would you know what to do if an earthquake occurred? On Thursday, Oct. 16, the City of Penticton will be participating in the Great B.C. ShakeOut Earthquake Drills – and is encouraging residents to also take part.
Our province is located in one of the most seismically active regions in the world, with more than 3,000 earthquakes occurring every year.
In our area, we have the Okanagan Valley Fault, which runs north-south through the centre of the valley into Skaha Lake. While most earthquakes in our area are too small to be felt, a major earthquake could potentially cause significant damage.
This drill will take place on Oct. 16 at 10:16 a.m., in which the public is encouraged to practice the following ‘Drop, Cover and Hold On’ steps:
- DROP to the ground (before the earthquake drops you).
- Take COVER by getting under a sturdy desk or table and protect your head and neck.
- HOLD ON until the shaking stops.
- STAY THERE for 60 seconds, giving unstable objects time to settle.
This is also an opportunity to create or review emergency plans, build/restock your emergency kit and talk to family members or coworkers about what to do in the event of an earthquake.
Last year, more than 800,000 people across B.C. participated in this drill, and nearly 60 million took part in the Great ShakeOut worldwide.
Register for the drill at shakeoutbc.ca/join-the-drill/register-now.
For more information about the drill and earthquake preparedness, visit ShakeOutBC.ca.
Additional Resources
- Make your home emergency plan: PreparedBC.ca/EmergencyReady
- Province of BC: Insurance and emergency preparedness resources
- PreparedBC: Earthquake and tsunami preparedness guide