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Tsunami response: head for high ground Warnings to be distributed via radio, street-level loudspeakers KRISTEN DOUGLAS CAMPBELL RIVER MIRROR
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uch of Vancouver Island was on high alert last Friday morning with the potential threat of a tsunami after the devastating 8.9 earthquake in northeast Japan. Although Campbell River was never in any real danger, that may not always be the case. If an earthquake hit closer to home, a tsunami is something people need to be aware of and they need to know what to do, says Howie Siemens, deputy emergency program co-ordinator for the Strathcona Regional District. “Campbell River is in a lower risk area when it comes to tsunamis because by the time it would reach us, the power of the waves would have been dispersed by the islands and channels nearby,” Siemens says. “I’m not saying we wouldn’t get a tsunami but we wouldn’t be devastated by a tsunami.” Siemens says the number one thing people need to remember is, after an earthquake, head to higher ground because a trembler in local waters will more than likely trigger a tsunami. “We can’t predict the size of the wave that’s coming, so the higher you can get, the better,” he says. “Of course it’s not only the height of the wave but the force that you have to be aware of. They can travel up to 300 to 400 miles per hour. You
Sandy Richardson, reception centre manager for Emergency Social Services’ disaster assistance, shows all the items people should have in their emergency kits to survive the first 72 hours in the event of a natural disaster. KRISTEN DOUGLAS/THE MIRROR
see in Japan that it’s lifting up houses and tractor trailers like they’re nothing – just bathtub toys.” Siemens says although scientists can’t be certain, it’s estimated that if a tsunami was headed for Campbell River, people would have roughly 15 minutes to evacuate any low lying areas and head inland. Once the Strathcona Regional District, which co-ordinates the city’s emergency program, receives a tsunami warning from the Provincial Emergency Program, a media release is sent to all local radio stations. The greater the risk, the more information that is shared with the public. The province identifies four types of tsunami bulletins, with a tsunami warning the most serious. Friday morning’s bulletin was a tsunami advisory, the third highest level of tsunami alert. Siemens says if Campbell River was issued a tsunami warning, the message to get to higher ground would be broadcast over the radio almost instantly. More than 30 feet (about 10 metres) from the ocean is best, up into the Dogwood area. A mass e-mail would also be sent out to all first responders, RCMP vehicles and fire trucks would be dispatched to spread the message through their loud speakers to evacuate areas near the water. People can also sign up to have earthquake notifications sent to their cell phones by registering online: https:// sslearthquake.usgs.gov/ens/ Continued on Page 2
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