Did you know that roughly 5,000 earthquakes are recorded in Canada every year?
On the west coast of Canada, earthquakes are one of the most common natural disasters, and while most of us haven’t experienced an earthquake that created any significant damage, “the big one” is a long time coming. There’s nothing that we can really do to stop the imminent damage from happening. We don’t know where or when it will strike. All we can really do is reduce the risk by getting prepared.
This year’s Emergency Preparedness Week runs from May 1-7 and at Quake Kit, we’re encouraging you to get involved with some awesome deals on emergency preparedness items such as our 72 Hour Emergency Kits
The majority of Canadians (approximately 85%) agree that having an emergency kit is important to ensure their family’s safety, but only 40% have started preparing or have bought an emergency kit. So during this year’s emergency preparedness week, we want to challenge you to start preparing, if you haven’t already. Perhaps try taking one step towards preparedness each day!
You can personalize your challenge for the week, using some of the tips we’ve included below!
- Plan a family meeting and then follow through! Talk about your earthquake plan and take notes. Make sure every member of your family or household is present and understands the steps you plan to take.
- Practice dropping, covering and holding on with your kids, or at your workplace or school.
- Go through your house and compile the emergency supplies you already have.
- Make a list of the emergency supplies you still need to buy, in order of priority (we list the priorities by their categories: water, food, heat, shelter, light, communication, first aid, sanitation.) Visit GetPrepared for more tips to help you make your list, and find out what items are important to include in your kit!
- Buy the topmost priority item on your list!
- Talk to people in your neighbourhood, at your school or your workplace, about how they’re getting prepared. Spread the word.
These are a few important ideas to help guide you towards better earthquake preparedness. Let us know what other items or challenges you’ve added to your list for Emergency Preparedness Week!
Article contributed by Sophie Wooding – Avid gardener and cyclist in Victoria, BC and Content Writer for Frontier.io