The province says they will be amping up earthquake protection this spring by installing sensors to detect the initial energy after it is released from a quake.
According to Emergency Management Oceanside, the Earthquake Early Warning (EEW) systems detect the initial energy once it is released, but also say if a quake does hit the initial wave is just a warning on what is to come.
“The first wave of energy is not the wave that typically does damage,” they say. “The stronger, damaging waves occur seconds, tens of seconds or minutes later.”
The sensors are designed to transmit information to data centres across the province which can quickly calculate the level of shaking and alert residents through their mobile devices.
Emergency Management Oceanside adds notifications will be sent out with enough time for residents in the affected areas to react and respond in kind.
“The aim is for the alert to be received far enough in advance of the start of the damaging shaking so people can take protective actions,” they say. “As the system expands, the alert can also be used to trigger other preventative measures including halting surgeries, preventing the flow of traffic into tunnels and on bridges.”
Emergency management oceanside says if you receive a warning, don’t question the validity of the alert, instead drop, cover and hold on.
