Monday, October 22, 2018

Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On...

Wow! Last night before midnight at good sized quake struck off of Vancouver Island. Not too far from the 'endeavor ridge' area of the Juan de Fuca plate.
What was interesting to me is that about an hour later, another quake struck, then an hour after that, another quake..  3 '6.+ quakes' in 3 hours and some after-shocks.

Of course the entire West Coast is part of the 'Ring of Fire', tectonic plates that are constantly on the move as massive parts of the Earth's crust are killed and renewed. The West coast (and a lot of the Pacific) are of course used to quakes.. But 'the Big One' which is said to be almost a decade overdue is bound to happen some day.
I'm not saying that these quakes that just happened are a precursor to the 'Big One', but certain an eye opener for the residents of the West Coast of BC (or should be)... Albeit, after decades of science crying out, 'The Big One is coming, the Big One is coming'! Residents are no doubt been lulled into a false sense of security...
Families SHOULD be prepared for the inevitable... Search online for 'Emergency Disaster Kits' and get your family one. Have one for yourself and learn what you can do to protect yourself and family and neighbors during a massive quake.

I've not 'studied' per say, but have been aware of the potential for a massive quake on the West coast since I was a teen and we spent a lot of our Summer's in Victoria.
When I lived in Vancouver, I was sure I had a good sized and ample stocked earthquake kit after Nisqually earthquake in Washington state in 2001. That quake though centered far South of Vancouver, was felt by us. I was at Electronic Arts at my desk when I thought someone had snuck up behind me and was rocking my chair and as I turned I saw the huge plate glass windows in our department wobbling..

I wouldn't say I became obsessed with the potential for mass devastation for our area, but maybe hyper aware... And each time there was a sizable quake, you could be sure the local news would 'remind' people that the 'Big One' could happen ANY moment!

Never ended up having to use that 'kit' I had put together and now that I live in a much less seismically active area my earthquake kit has been turned into a basic emergency kit, for times when a blizzard or hurricane might take out utilities in our area.

So, again, I implore my friends and family on the West Coast, be prepared, educate yourself for the potential around you and stock up your kit accordingly!!

You never know when it's gonna happen!!!




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