British Columbia's earthquake warning system is active, and not perfect

In the wake of Thursday's tremor that shook people across the Lower Mainland and Vancouver Island, we're learning more about the province's earthquake warning system.

Just after 4 a.m., a mild 4.0 magnitude earthquake shook many people awake. There were no reports of any damage or injuries and one expert who spoke to 1130 NewsRadio believes it was a one-off.

The system is known as Canada's National Public Alert System (NPAS), and it kind of works, says Alison Baird, a Vancouver Island seismologist with Natural Resources Canada (NRC).

The idea is that Canadians will get warning before strong tremors, known as an S wave, arrive.

“Two main waves come out of an earthquake. The really fast wave is the P wave, which is the primary wave or pressure wave that's very similar to a sound wave. “This is usually the initial jolt or rumble that you might experience, and that's usually not very harmful,” she explained. “.

“The sensors pick up that data, process it very quickly, and then we send out the alert, and that's before the slower but more damaging S wave arrives — that's the shear wave, that big side-to-side movement that tends to cause damage.”

The alert will be sent to people in the quake zone, including those visiting the province, but there is a gap in coverage.

“If you're very close to the epicenter, you may not get the warning in time. It's not actually possible to send an alert to people within that close central area. You'll get the alert after the shaking or during the shaking,” she explained.

This means that the farther you are from the epicenter, the more warnings you have.

Bird, who has more than two decades of experience in the field, says they did a lot of analysis and found that most people would get a warning of tens of seconds.

“And those few seconds are really valuable. I mean you can really make a difference in terms of your safety.”

Although the system is currently operational, Bird admits that improvements will be made through 2025.

“We will also be bringing on technical partners in the coming months that will do things like being able to stop trains, sound alarms in hospitals to stop surgery, call elevators, and open doors. Close valves that protect your water supply, protect the environment from dangerous chemicals, and block traffic.” From going to bridges or to tunnels, all these little things you can do in just a few seconds.”

NPAS, a federal government system that works with provincial and territorial governments, applies to earthquakes with a magnitude of 5.0 or higher and an intensity level greater than IV.

“British Columbia is more prone to earthquakes than anywhere else in Canada, and it is important that we use the most advanced methods available to protect people across the province. Emergency Management and Climate Preparedness Minister Bowen Ma previously explained that an Earthquake Early Warning (EEW) system can help Save lives and prevent injuries by giving people precious seconds to protect themselves and others.

The NRC says approximately 5,000 earthquakes are detected across Canada each year, and they are most common along the coast of British Columbia and in the Yukon, as well as along the St. Lawrence River and Ottawa River valleys in eastern Ontario and southern Quebec.

Taking place October 17 at 10:17 a.m., the Great BC Shake Out is an annual workout to help you train for your “big workout.”

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