Earthquake Ready Action Plan
Our Earthquake Ready Action Plan is designed to strengthen our earthquake resiliency in four key areas — mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery — by focusing on the people, buildings, infrastructure, and systems that are most vulnerable.
Being earthquake resilient is a monumental task for a local government and the community it serves. Our plan is a living document that will expand and shrink as new ideas for resilience emerge or need updating, and as actions are completed.
Read the plan in detail
- Earthquake Ready Action Plan (starts on page 27)
- When the Ground Shakes: A plain language companion study
Details of the plan
Actions in the plan
The plan contains dozens of actions that we can take to improve our earthquake resiliency. Some of these actions are already completed, some are in progress, and some are not yet started.
Phase | Goal | Actions include |
---|---|---|
Before a disaster (mitigation) | Reduce impacts on our infrastructure | Structural assessments, seismic reviews, structural updates of:
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Before a disaster (mitigation) | Reduce impacts on our community | Training, outreach, education for:
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During a disaster (response) | Improve response in the hours and days after an earthquake |
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After a disaster (recovery) | Recover in the months and years following an earthquake |
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Related documents
Technical data and studies
- A Profile of Earthquake Risk for the District of North Vancouver (executive summary)
- A Profile of Earthquake Risk for the District of North Vancouver (full risk assessment study)
Reports and guides
Background
Actions leading up to this plan
The Pacific Northwest region of BC is one of the most seismically active regions in Canada, and most people understand that a damaging earthquake could occur at any time. Yet, few people are prepared, likely because:
- a damaging earthquake has not occurred in our region in recent history
- preparing for an earthquake is an overwhelming task without specific knowledge about its impacts
As a result, we agreed to collaborate with Natural Resources Canada in a pilot project to explore earthquake risk reduction at the municipal level, with the hope of stimulating action to get prepared at all levels: personal, family, business, and government.
How the study was completed
In creating the earthquake risk assessment study, detailed scientific knowledge about the seismic hazard potential was combined with information about our community profile. A risk analysis was then performed, using a credible 7.3M Georgia Strait earthquake scenario, to model impacts and consequences.
The final step was to model the effects of mitigation, making a strong case — in regards to both public safety and economics — to invest in mitigation, such as seismic retrofits and re-development in vulnerable areas.