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Earthquake preparedness
- May 15, 2008 12:39 PM |
- By Your Voice
While there hasn't been a major earthquake in Canada for some time, seismic safety experts warn that parts of the country are vulnerable to the natural disaster.
What can you do to prepare for an earthquake? How can you safeguard your home?
On Saturday, May 17 Paul Kovacs, Executive Director of the Institute for Catastrophic Loss Reduction, took your questions on earthquake safety.
Read his answers below.
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Comments (4)
Having lived in the Port Burwell area [Lake Erie] back in the mid 1980s we had a couple down there.
I also remember on the news that Lake Erie and Lake Ontario had fault lines running in them.
What are the chances of these areas experiencing a major quake, and what could be the consequences with the nuclear plants being on their shores? [Nanticoke being a possible future nuclear plant]
Paul Kovacs: The area near Lake Erie and Lake Ontario has a low level of seismicity, an exposure that is much lower than communities like Vancouver and Victoria where the risk is high, and Montreal and Ottawa where the risk is moderate. Perhaps once or twice each decade the area experiences earthquakes that can be felt. Over the past 250 years, Canadian seismologists believe that there have been only three moderate earthquakes in the Southern Great Lakes Seismic Zone, earthquakes large enough that some minor damage may have been inflicted on a few vulnerable structures. This suggests that over the next 250 years there will likely be few seismic events with sufficient strength to cause any damage to a well built and well maintained structure. Research is continuing with respect to the vulnerability of nuclear facilities in the area. These structures were designed to withstand impacts much greater than anything that has been experienced in this area in the last 250 years.
What can I do to make sure my house is safe in an earthquake?
Paul Kovacs: Homeowners can protect their families and property by making their home more resilient to earthquakes. Many earthquake and general safety actions require little money and can be completed by most homeowners on their own. First, do a check of your home from a safety viewpoint. Have you anchored bookcases to the wall? During an earthquake, heavy objects like a bookcase can tip over, potentially causing serious injury. Yet for less than one dollar, you can purchase a bracket that can attach the bookcase to the wall so the risk is eliminated. They may also fall if a young child attempts to climb the bookcase, and this everyday risk will also be eliminated. Your hot water tank is very heavy and its movement during an earthquake can cause extensive damage to your home unless it is strapped so that it moves with the entire house. Heavy objects should not sit on a high shelf where they may fall on someone, so move them lower. Water hoses for washing machines and dishwashers should be replaced with armored hoses that will not break and cause water damage. And safety latches should be added to shelf doors so they do not suddenly swing open and cause injury during an event, again a wise investment for improving everyday safety for families with young children.
Some safety actions are more involved and professional installation will bring the greatest benefits. All new homes are anchored to the foundation with bolts so the entire house does not shift during an earthquake, but many older homes would benefit if anchor bolts were added. This process adds a few dollars to the cost of a new home, but it is more expensive to do after a home has been built. Fire is also a major risk after an earthquake. Automatic gas shut-off valves have been installed on most schools, hospitals and other major buildings in vulnerable areas, and these are available for homes as well. Protective film on windows will eliminate the risk of injuries caused by broken shards of glass.
More home safety advice for earthquakes and a number of other perils are available at the website of the Institute for Catastrophic Loss Reduction.
How safe are the downtown towers? Can they withstand a major earthquake?
Paul Kovacs: Each building must be assessed for its specific circumstances, but the major downtown towers are among the safest buildings in Canada. All of our larger buildings constructed since the early 1940s have been subject to building code requirements. Also, newer buildings benefit from the knowledge engineers learn each time a major earthquake occurs somewhere in the world. Significant earthquake events in California, Japan and elsewhere have caused little or no damage to larger and younger buildings.
Is Vancouver ready for the big one?
Paul Kovacs: It is inevitable that Vancouver will experience a catastrophic earthquake. There have been very large earthquakes in the past and there will be more in the future, we just do not know when they will strike. There has been progress towards minimizing the impact, nevertheless much remains to be done that could further reduce the risk of fatalities, injuries and property damage. Perhaps the greatest success of the preparedness effort in Vancouver is the high level of awareness about the risk of a major earthquake. This has been accompanied by many risk reduction programs, including the current 15-year program to provide $1.5 billion in seismic protection to more than 800 schools in the area. I would like to see more individuals discuss earthquake safety with their family. Also, homeowners can do more to protect their home from potential damage. Groups like the Institute for Catastrophic Loss Reduction have produced detailed research for the municipal and provincial governments recognizing specific safety investments that have been made in the area, while also identifying additional community actions that would further reduce the risk. There has been progress, but Vancouver is not fully prepared for the big one.