Earthquake Preparedness for DummiesEOS370 Students a handout to accompany a presentation by Mike Sugimoto

The slides from my talk can be reviewed here.

Public service announcement (22:25, 28/02/01): A strong earthquake struck the Pacific Northwest at 10:54 (PST) on Wednesday, 28 February 2001. The epicenter and hypocenter were located around Olympia, Washington, roughly 50 km below the surface. Computed magnitude at this writing is M_W=6.8, which was apparently enough to break a recording pen on a seismograph at the University of Washington. Damage is primarily limited to Seattle and the surrounding areas, although a light pole fell over in Langley. The earthquake was felt throughout Puget Sound and Western Washington, in Southerwestern British Colubmia (including Victoria and Vancouver), and in locations as far away as Portland, Salt Lake City, Penticton, Kelowna, and the Kootenays. Additional information is available from the Pacific Geoscience Center.

Probably the most interesting piece of data I've found so far on this earthquake is the Mercalli intensity projection map put together by the US Geological Survey. A slightly prettier version, using data from sensors (mapping velocity and acceleration), is available from the University of Washington.

This was a deep-focus earthquake, which is why the destruction is as limited as it was; it could have been a lot worse. Once again, if you live in the Pacific Northwest, please fill out an earthquake intensity survey, even if you didn't feel it. If you live in the United States, use this form instead (USGS link).

Table of Contents

• Introduction
• An overview of emergency planning in British Columbia
  • Assumptions and planning models
  • Problems associated with planning
  • Why hazard assessments aren't the answer
• Specific risks and the problems they pose
  • Fire
  • Structural collapse and failure
  • Medical considerations
  • Public infrastructure disruption
• Personal protection before an earthquake
  • Protecting your house
  • Protecting your family
  • Your emergency survival kit
• During an earthquake
• After an earthquake
• Conclusions

Introduction

The historical risk is difficult to evaluate. A great earthquake is believed to have occurred in January of 1700, but the most recent major earthquake in this fault system was in Prince William Sound, in Alaska, in March of 1964. This magnitude 8.3-8.6 caused extreme levels of damage, created a massive tsunami, and should serve as a reminder of the risk to those who believe "it can't happen here." Of course, an even that took place 36 years ago is not terribly relevant, yet once or twice a year we are reminded, quite firmly, that there is a risk and it is in our best interests to be prepared.

Prediction is unreliable, prevention is impossible. Preparation remains the only real option for our communities -- and ourselves -- if we want to mitigate the risk as best we can.

An Overview of BC Emergency Planning

Each municipality in British Columbia is required under the Emergency Program Act (the legislation which also gives PEP its authority) to establish and main local emergency plans. These plans must cover preparedness, response, and recovery from disasters or other incidents. Development of these plans, and their implementation, is usually vested in a municipal emergency management organization -- the municipal emergency program. (e.g., the Saanich Emergency Program.) These emergency programs are the lead agencies for post-disaster activities, whether it involves setting up reception centers, conducting search and rescue operations, or providing communications services. The Emergency Program Act grants these organizations extraordinary powers, including the ability to

• commandeer property (vehicles, buildings, supplies),
• require any individual to render assistance,
• order evacuations to designated locations,
• enter structures without warrants, and
• ration food, water, fuel, or other vital supplies,

It should be noted that these powers can only be exercised during a declared state of emergency; only a select number of people have the authority to do this, and the decisions are not made lightly. A declaration of a state of emergency essentially authorizes a government, whether it is the province of British Columbia or the City of Victoria, to take whatever actions it deems necessary to meet the threats posed by an actual or imminent disaster.

Disasters are, by their very nature, tricky things. Predicting what will happen and where is an inexact science at best. Planning, therefore, becomes an exercise in balancing creativity, science, and politics.

(Note: Throughout this document I will talk about earthquakes, but earthquakes are by no means the only things that are planned for. However, an earthquake is the big event that everyone is worried about, and so it gets more attention than the other possibilities. The most recent large-scale exercise in greater Victoria (CANAM SAREX) featured a cruise ship fire as its scenario, so please don't think we're only concerned about earthquakes and ignorant of large fires, airplane crashes, hazardous materials spills, blizzards, computer bugs...)

Assumptions and Planning Models

Planning scenarios break down along "moderate," "major" and "catastrophic" earthquakes. There is some disagreement about what constitutes a "moderate" earthquake and what constitutes a "major" earthquake, but the key factor with these classifications is the capability for damage. Even a "moderate" quake of 6.0 magnitude is enough to severely damage many structures and disrupt life. Earthquakes falling into "moderate" and "major" categories are thus dependent upon the amount of damage, with major earthquakes being considered as such because of increased response needs. The impact such an earthquake will have on the population of British Columbia is highly dependent upon local conditions and the distance from the epicenter/focus of the earthquake. Because we don't know where the next fault fracture is going to occur, it is impossible to project damage estimates; these earthquakes will be considered "moderate" or "major" depending on what happens after they strike.

Catastrophic earthquakes, on the other hand, require no such careful definition. They are the result of widespread fracturing across a subduction zone, such as occurred in 1964 in Prince William Sound, and what is believed to have happened in January of 1700. Formal hazard assessments and scientific studies relating to an event of this size in British Columbia have not yet been done; we can, however, study some data from southern California regarding a projected M=8.3 earthquake occurring near a major population center:

• Severe damage will be widespread, perhaps ranging hundreds of kilometers. Moderate damage could occur out to 300+ kilometers from the epicenter.
• Surface waves produced by subduction zone earthquakes can last for several minutes, augmenting the effects of soil liquefaction which may cause extensive structural collapse -- particularly of tall buildings.
• Considerable infrastructure (communications, utilities, transportation systems) may be disrupted for at least 24 hours, perhaps longer.
• Landslides will occur in areas with significant slope hazard.
• Tsunamis will be generated, resulting in major damage both locally and at distant sites -- frequently without any warning.
• Injuries and death will come as a result of structural collapse, and some of the collapses will be buildings of critical importance: Schools, hospitals, emergency operations and communications centers. While many buildings are strengthened against earthquakes, few are capable of withstanding a magnitude 8 earthquake. Many homes will be destroyed, although newer structures (wood-frame, rectangular footprint) may survive with moderate damage.

• Earthquakes occur without warning, and pre-event response activity will not be possible.
• The probability of the event occurring during non-working hours is better than 3:1.
• Damage to sensitive communications systems will interfere with response management.
• Aftershocks are likely, and will cause additional damage, interfere with response efforts, and cause unease among the population.
• Damage, even if not severe, may be widespread.

A standard assumption and planning model, therefore, might revolve around a major earthquake that resulted in many fires and extensive structural collapse, a heavy loss of life (perhaps in excess of 1,000 people in the Capital Region), a massive disruption of utilities and services, and the almost total exhaustion of local resources within one hour of the incident occurring. In addition, this model would also assume that help from outside the affected area will take some time to arrive, and that the rebuilding process will be long and slow.

With these points in mind, we can begin to formulate a response plan.

Problems Associated with Planning

Given that earthquakes are unpredictable and will occur with no warning, the risk is somewhat nebulous. As a general rule, people are not easily excited by non-specific risks. They are also reluctant to think about the things that may kill or injure them or their loved ones. Emergency planning is very expensive, and with virtually no return on investment, it is difficult to encourage spending on preparedness and equipment. Although the question is one of "pay now, or pay big later," it is often not seen in that light; politicians and citizens, more concerned with immediate problems, do not see the potential threat as a major concern. Essentially, beyond the fact that the risks are difficult to quantify and we don't really know what will happen, where it will happen, or when, the biggest problem is that people simply don't care. Compared to apathy, the other problems are almost trivially easy to solve...

Why Hazard Assessments Aren't the Answer

This is, unfortunately, not the case. The microzonation maps are interesting from a scientific perspective, but they are essentially a curiosity. They show where the greatest damage is expected to occur as a result of liquefaction, slope, or amplification hazards, but the proof of concept will ultimately be in what remains standing after an earthquake. The effects of soil amplification are variable and dependent almost entirely on the type, location, and severity of the earthquake. The maps (and structural assessments) are theories, not facts. We will get what we get when the shaking is all over; a hazard assessment is not a particularly compelling argument when trying to tell a building that it should not have fallen over.

What about the public utilities? The Capital Regional District Water Department has, for example, conducted seismic surveys of its dams and major water distribution sites. Their emergency plan, some 85 pages long, lays out the foundations for a response to various incidents (including dam breaches), but does not specify what is likely to fail and what isn't. If you try talking to BC Hydro, Telus, Shaw, Centra Gas, or any other major public utility, they will cheerfully tell you that they've conducted an assessment of their relative risks, but they will also tell you they are not interested in sharing that information with anyone outside of their organization -- most likely for liability reasons. (Utilities that make statements as to what will and won't be operational open themselves to litigation when it turns out that promised services aren't. It is much better to say nothing publicly.)

Instead of talking about specific risks to specific buildings or specific areas, it is more productive to talk about specific risks over a generalized area.

Specific Risks and the Problems They Pose

In 1906 it was unavoidable. Fire protection was in its infancy as a science and as a skill. In more recent earthquakes, the largest fires started primarily as a result of ruptured gas lines and downed power lines; small fires grew unchecked into larger ones, fueled by the presence of combustibles in everyday life. Fire remains a major hazard after earthquakes, so much so that survivors are strongly encouraged to inspect their power and gas supplies for problems, and to shut them both off if there is any doubt that they remain intact.

In Greater Victoria, the problem is especially acute -- the firefighting resources of this area are limited at the best of times. For example, Oak Bay has a staff of 25 firefighters and three front-line attack vehicles. A major fire in a multiple residence dwelling (i.e., apartment building, extended care facility) or involving more than two houses will result in mutual aid calls to neighboring departments. Victoria and Saanich have correspondingly larger departments -- more personnel and more units -- but even they find themselves taxed when dealing with more than one working fire at a time. It is very easy to overwhelm a fire department in Greater Victoria during "peacetime." We will not be fortunate enough to only have one fire at a time within Oak Bay, or Saanich, or Victoria, or any other jurisdiction on the south Island. The fires will come all at once, while crews are tied up elsewhere. A significant number of lives, along with a correspondingly significant amount of property, will be lost because of these limited firefighting resources.

There is no real solution to this problem. Fire protection is expensive and requires continued expenditures. The costs of providing full coverage to a city are prohibitive (although it can be done); no municipality in Greater Victoria has seen fit to spend the money.

In other words, external help will be required. It may take some time to arrive, but it will arrive eventually, even if only in the form of personnel. Apparatus will take longer to arrive, of course; this use of out-of-town personnel means that the Prince George or Calgary Fire Departments may be dealing with residual fires in Oak Bay or Esquimalt. As far as priorities go, rescue of imperiled lives is more important than containing a fire, and containing a fire is more important than suppressing it. It is very likely that a point will be reached in large scale fires where the safest and most prudent approach is to withdraw from an area, cut a firebreak, and allow the fire to burn itself out. Not the most encouraging thing, but, as with medicine, the principles of triage must apply: "do the most good for the most number of people." It is pointless to fight a fire that has burned several city blocks yet which is largely contained; far better to send firefighting resources places where they can do more good.

Structural Collapse and Failures

This is not helped by the fact that local search and rescue resources are even more limited than the fire departments. Urban search and heavy rescue is a difficult task, requiring a great deal of both initial training and continual refresher work. It is a dangerous assignment as well, combining a number of rescue specialties.

Fortunately, we live very close to the United States and some of the best USAR teams in the world -- the Urban Search and Rescue teams developed and deployed by the US Federal Emergency Management Authority have responded to disasters and earthquakes worldwide. It is highly likely that the Fairfax County Urban Search and Rescue Team would deploy to southwestern British Columbia following a major earthquake. (The other USAR team that would likely play a role is Florida Task Force 1, from Miami-Dade County. VA-TF1 and FL-TF1 are the designated international response teams, having deployed in response to earthquakes in Turkey, Taiwan, the Philippine Islands, Columbia, Venezuela, Armenia, and El Salvador.)

USAR resources exist both within Canada and the province of British Columbia, and it is possible that the response will be handled internally, but it is very likely that assistance will be sought, at least on an advisory basis, from the United States government.

Before an earthquake, though, several things can be done. This includes better engineering of important structures, better urban planning, and structural upgrading to protect existing facilities and buildings -- the Greater Victoria School District and the Capital Regional District have spent $millions upgrading schools, roads, and public buildings. This may not mean anything in the final analysis, however; the Japanese know more about earthquake protection than just about anyone else, and 6,000 people died in Kobe, largely as a result of structural collapse.

Medical Considerations

• The ratio of injuries requiring medical treatment to fatalities will be better than 30:1.
• The ratio of injuries requiring hospitalization to fatalities will exceed 4:1.
• Estimates of fatalities range from 100 to over 1,000, depending on the severity of a quake, the amount of destruction, the duration, the time of day/year, and pessimism on the part of the person making the estimate. This places the number of injured anywhere from 3,000 to 30,000 or more.

While working on a series of recommendations for a committee looking at post-earthquake health services, I developed a model of injury and death that contains four tiers. Although it is not an official system or a recognized model, I find it conceptually helpful to categorize the medical victims of an earthquake into four groups:

Primary casualties are those people who are killed or injured directly as a result of the earthquake itself -- by fire, by structural collapse, and other physical hazards related to the actual shaking. Primary casualties are essentially unsalvagable because of the critical nature of their injuries and the delays inherent in providing help, or because they died instantly. Examples of primary casualties in the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake include the people killed when the upper deck of a freeway collapsed, trapping them underneath.

Secondary casualties are people who survive the initial incident, but are injured during the process, and who die because of insufficient resources and the inability to access effective and immediate emergency medical care. A good example of a secondary casualty would be a person who suffered bilateral femur fractures but died of shock as a result of internal bleeding.

Tertiary casualties are people who suffer from pre-existing medical conditions aggravated by the earthquake. These aggravations would be survivable during "peacetime," but because the medical system will be overwhelmed with traumatically injured patients, they will die because of an inability to access the system. Typically, one would expect this group to include those with chronic disorders -- angina (stable or unstable), congestive heart failure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, a history of transient ischemic attacks, or other systemic illness. This group also includes those who become sick as a result of the post-disaster environment, primarily through communicable diseases, and who may or may not die as a result.

Quaternary casualties constitute perhaps the largest and unquantifiable group of casualties, since it involves those who suffer lasting effects from their involvement in the incident. The psychological impact of an earthquake, the stress of surviving and the grief at having lost loved ones, and the loss of property will almost certainly result in deaths due to suicide. When these deaths occur is a bit of a mystery; no one is really sure, and there has not been a great deal of research done into this area. My personal feeling is that the quaternary casualties will not show up until some time after the incident has occurred, and at that point these deaths become an epidemiological problem rather than an acute care issue.

Beyond these issues, there are others, more troubling. The Capital Health Region will likely suffer heavy losses in our hypothetical earthquake. The Royal Jubilee Hospital is notoriously unstable, and there is a high probability that the center block will come crashing down... right on top of the emergency department. Even if the hospital itself remains standing, extensive surveying must still be done before the facility can be used for patient care. This problem will be solved somewhat with the opening of the new tower in 2001-2002, but until then, a significant portion of Victoria's acute care hospital beds will be unavailable after an earthquake. The Victoria General Hospital, being of newer construction, is theoretically seismically stable and should be capable of withstanding a fairly substantial earthquake (although it is believed that most of the glass will shatter).

Aside from rescue, support for the medical community is perhaps the most important commodity that could be brought in from outside the disaster area. Municipalities will provide basic first aid and stabilization of patients through the reception centers, the British Columbia Ambulance Service will attempt to provide intermediate care and transport to medical aid when and where possible, and the Capital Health Region will likely establish one or more temporary hospitals using borrowed equipment. The Canadian Armed Forces are prepared to deploy field hospital units to the scene of an earthquake; again, some resources may be borrowed or requested from the United States government as well as other areas of Canada.

Ironically, while the number of dead and injured is largely a matter of luck, it is the one area where preparation can do the most good, where careful planning will allow us to maximize the effects of that luck. It is also one of the few areas that has been extensively studied, particularly when it comes to tertiary casualties and long-term effects. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, for example, conducted an in-depth study of patient and community needs following the August 1999 earthquake in Turkey, and journals such as Annals of Emergency Medicine and Prehospital and Disaster Medicine routinely publish reports detailing the medical situation(s) after major disasters.

In spite of this, planning to mitigate this hazard is still difficult. It took nearly four months to develop a recommended list of supplies for basic medical care after an earthquake (and the list is not cheap, running at ~$1,500/kit).

Public Infrastructure Disruption

There is little that can be done about any of this, except to plan to be without power, water, telephones, gas, and Internet access for at least 72 hours.

Personal Protection Before an Earthquake

Protecting Your House

Some general guidelines:

• Check for home hazards. Is the house bolted to its foundations, are the walls braced? Does the chimney need shoring or support? Are there loose roof tiles. Fix structural problems now; this can mean the difference between a small clean-up and a costly rebuild.
• Tie down appliances that can break water and gas lines if they fall down. Examples include water heaters, furnaces, gas-driven dryers.
• Secure top-heavy furniture like bookcases and shelves to prevent tipping, and keep heavier items on lower shelves for stability.
• Inspect mirrors and other hanging objects to ensure they won't fall off their mounts.
• Check the position of beds and make sure they are away from windows, chimneys, heavy falling objects. Consider adding heavy curtains to your windows; this will help keep broken glass off of beds.
• Secure your TV, VCR, computer, and other small appliances using anti-skid pads like Velcro.
• Move valuable documents somewhere safe. Make sure it is fireproof.
• Secure cabinets and cupboards using child-proof or safety latches to keep their contents from spilling out.
• Keep flammable items away from sources of ignition, along with other household chemicals and other hazardous materials -- outside in a shed is excellent. If that isn't practical, store them in a safe place.
• Put plywood in the attic around joists around chimneys to prevent bricks and mortar from falling through a ceiling.
• Investigate the possibility of earthquake insurance.

• Set up a familial plan of action, outlining where to go and what to do during an earthquake. Where are the safe places in the house? (Safe places include under heavy tables or desks, inside hallways, and in the corners of rooms.) If an earthquake happens when people are away from home, where should everyone meet?
• Talk to your friends and neighbors to coordinate plans, especially if you have no family living with you or in the area.
• Learn how to use a fire extinguisher.
• Take a first aid and CPR course.
• Practice evacuation drills, for fires, earthquakes, and other emergencies.
• Know how to shut off your utilities.
• Assemble an emergency kit.

Comprehensive information on preparing specifically tailored survival kits can be found at Doug Ritter's Equipped to Survive Web site, including a maximalist list of supplies that some people might find useful when constructing their kits. Note that many stores in the Greater Victoria area (including but not limited to Columbia Fire & Safety, and Custom First Aid) are selling emergency kits built to PEP standards; this might be worth investigating if you just want to buy something commercially and not have to assemble everything yourself.

Your survival kit should contain enough supplies to survive for 72 hours or more without help, whether you are at home, at work, or in your car. Whatever you do, put it somewhere and then don't raid it -- several items on this list are useful for other, non-survival purposes, and it would be a real shame to have to break open your kit only to discover you left the flashlight under the kitchen sink and the radio in the box with all the beach stuff..

• A first aid kit with instruction booklet. Warning: Many commercial kits are sorrily lacking in important supplies. It is well worth checking with training agencies like St. John Ambulance or shops like Custom First Aid regarding what constitutes a good kit; one possibility is this one, developed primarily for pilots of light aircraft, but as with the kits described at Equipped to Survive, this is a maximalist approach. No matter what you put in the kit, it is important to remember that the supplies are useless without a trained brain, so take a first aid and CPR course. (I have a fully-loaded paramedic "jump bag" that serves as my first aid kit; it weighs close to 50 pounds, so I'm not the best person to ask about what to put in.) Don't forget to include medications and supplies for infants, the elderly, and people with special needs. A one-week supply of vital medication is the minimum you should consider. Also include copies of prescriptions for drugs and eyeglasses, if necessary.
• Some form of shelter. Plastic tarps, tents, emergency space blankets (the silver mylar ones), or even large garbage bags could be used to construct emergency shelter.
• Water, at least four liters of water per person, per day, so 12 liters per person for 72 hours. This is a lot of water; it will be used for everything from cooking to cleaning to drinking. The water should be kept in tightly capped plastic containers (glass has a nasty tendency to break); if not purchased commercially, the water should be inspected and changed every 60 to 90 days. (I keep mine in old 4L bleach bottles.) In an emergency, if water is still available, fill the bathtub. Don't forget that water heaters and toilet reservoirs contain water.
• Water purification supplies, which can be as simple as a small bottle of bleach. Four drops of bleach in 4.5L of clear water or 10 drops in 4.5L of cloudy water will purify it and make it reasonably safe for drinking. Commercial preparation substances, including filters and purification tablets or solutions, are also effective here, but talk to a sales clerk to make sure you buy the right kind. (I find that the people at Mountain Equipment Co-op know a lot about this subject, although I personally use bleach and plan to Brita filter the rest.)
• Food is important, although not quite as important as water. It becomes especially important during cold weather, or if you are injured. Non-perishable food is pretty much your only choice here -- canned and dehydrated, in other words. Rotate periodically to keep the food fresh; if you use cans, be sure to include a can opener somewhere. (I use MREs as my disaster food, as I find they're easier to use and store than other canned foods.) Don't forget about cooking equipment and utensils.
• Some kind of lighting is very useful. Several flashlights with extra batteries are a must. Keep one light near your bed at all times; try the Gerety disposable flashlights (very cheap, very reliable) for this purpose. This is the item that is most likely to go missing from the kit, so be particularly strong in your resolve not to raid it. Rotate batteries where necessary.
• An AM/FM radio with spare batteries, for listening to updates and information. Emergency operation centers will use the broadcast media to get information out to the public -- specifically, if you listen to CFAX 1070 (AM) or CKKQ 100.3 (FM), you will know everything you're supposed to know after a disaster. (You can buy a combination flashlight and radio powered by kinetic energy, where you turn a crank to drive a spring generator. I don't own one, but it seems interesting, and might obviate the need for at least some of the lighting and additional batteries for the radio.)
• Personal toiletry items (tiolet paper, soap, toothpaste, toothbrush) are very useful, if only for the psychological value of returning to something that resembles routine.
• Class ABC fire extinguisher, at least 10 pounds, and preferably 15 or more. Keep this in a convenient place in the house, and test and inspect it regularly. You should also have a smaller, 5 pound extinguisher in the kitchen for minor cooking fires.
• Waterproof matches and candles, either for heat, cooking, or light. Don't use them if there is any risk of a gas leak, though.
• Some tools. At the very least, a wrench for turning off gas valves, but you could also include pry bars, rope, duct tape, a generator and extension cord, hammers, nails, and other equipment to build makeshift shelter.
• Appropriate clothing -- sturdy shoes or boots to protect against debris, gloves, sweaters. Warmth is important, even in the summer.
• Sleeping bags could be included if the weather is expected to be cold.
• If you have children, earthquake buddies like stuffed animals, games, or toys might be worth including. Kids react very badly to disruption of routine (adults react badly to disruption of routine), so distractions can be important and help them cope with a difficult situation.

Pet owners should also consider the needs of their companions. Food and water dishes (along with food and water), leashes, kennels or cages, and medication should be included as part of your survival kit.

During an Earthquake

Safe places to be in an earthquake

If driving, pull over to the side of the road and stop. Avoid stopping near bridges, overpasses, overhead wires, and tall buildings. Do not block the road; it will be needed for rescue purposes. Stay in your car.

In public areas, take cover and watch out for panicked crowds. Get into safe areas inside stores, keeping away from windows, skylights, and display cases that contain heavy objects.

Stay put until the shaking stops. Aftershocks are likely. Try to remain calm (I know, this is difficult).

After an Earthquake

At home, inspect your house for damage and other hazards. Don't run outside to do this, though; check carefully to make sure you won't get crushed by falling debris as you exit the door (look up, in other words). Check yourself and others for injuries, and administer first aid as needed. Use a flashlight to check the status of your utilities; if there is any doubt as to whether they're intact, turn them off:

Shut-off points for gas, water, and electricity.

If you need to evacuate, grab your gear and leave, after securing your home against intruders (criminals don't take breaks because everything's fallen down). If your family is separated, this might be a good time to head to the meeting point.

It is anticipated that most people will be able to stay in their homes after an earthquake. For those that cannot, or who need additional assistance, municipalities will set up reception centers throughout the city to provide food, shelter, first aid, and supplies. Listen to the radio to find out where these centers are; listen to the radio to hear emergency instructions (including evacuation orders). The reception centers will also provide registration and inquiry services, a method of tracking survivors and informing friends and family elsewhere of the fate of their relatives, so it is worth making your way to a reception center eventually, even if you are perfectly fine and healthy where you are. (Additionally, if you are in good condition, you can be of some use at a reception center -- so head over and help out.)

After 72 hours, what happens next is largely a function of what has happened before. Outside assistance is arriving in the disaster area. Information on food and water distribution will be broadcast on the radio; follow the instructions. The process of rebuilding will be long and slow, but you've survived the worst. Continue to keep an eye on yourself and on others, and don't be afraid to ask for help if you need it.

Conclusions

Use your local emergency program as a resource -- talk to them about the plans in your areas (where the reception centers will be, what kind of specific hazards are in your community and neighborhood). They have extensive libraries of material available to you, and are there to be consulted. The more you know going into a disaster, the more likely you are to come out of it in one piece.

Finally, please consider joining your local emergency program as a volunteer. There are skills and ideas you can learn that will help you, your family, and others after a disaster. This is especially true if you have any special skills (medical training, search and rescue), but even if you don't, post-disaster management and response is a labor-intensive process, and help is most definitely needed.

Important Phone Numbers

• Provincial Emergency Program: 250-387-5956
• Emergency Preparedness Canada: 250-363-3621
• Insurance Bureau of Canada: 604-684-3635
• Langford Emergency Program: 250-478-5510
• Metchosin Emergency Program: 250-391-0105
• Oak Bay Emergency Program: 250-598-3311
• Saanich Emergency Program: 250-475-5503
• Victoria Emergency Program: 250-920-3373

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