Please note, this story will be updated as new information comes in. Latest update: 4:45 p.m.
Flyovers of critical infrastructure
The senior manager of emergency and protective services with the Sunshine Coast Regional District (SCRD) says as far as he knows, the 5.1 earthquake to hit the Coast Friday afternoon, is likely the biggest quake the area has experienced in decades.
Andy Bellerby said as of the time of the interview with Coast Reporter, 3:10 p.m., there had been no reports of major damage since the quake hit at around 1:30 p.m., Feb 21. He added, as soon as an emergency event such as an earthquake takes place, staff has guidelines to follow.
“The first protocol is to check that everyone is safe, obviously, and check the initial damage that could have been caused. So specifically, today our first instance was to check the head office building where we're located to make sure that everyone was safe and all persons accounted for,” said Bellerby. “And then we reached out to all our fire departments, etc., to make sure that all our emergency first responders were ready and capable of attending any kind of incidents that may have occurred, which obviously came back all good. So, everyone was ready to go, but fortunately, there were no major incidents. That was the good news.”
Bellerby added not only is staff on the ground physically checking for damage to infrastructure such as water treatment plants, but the SCRD was also getting reports from aircraft doing fly pasts over the Coast.
“So right away, we get on with provincial agencies to start the networking process and find out if any infrastructure has been damaged. All the highways are still open, the hospitals, etc.,” said Bellerby. “We have been made aware of flyovers of critical infrastructure, such as dams and reservoir systems, all that kind of stuff. And everything so far is coming back good. No damage has been reported just yet. So, it's basically a whole check in that everything is still working and there's been no fatalities. That’s obviously the most important thing.”
He said the SCRD does not have anything to do with BC Ferries, but they do get updates when an emergency such as this one takes place. Bellerby was aware there were delays in and out of Horseshoe Bay due to crews checking for damage to the terminal following the quake.
He noted this earthquake is a good reminder for all Sunshine Coast residents to get their “grab and go” kits ready.
“Whether it’s for a wildfire, fire, flood, landslide, earthquake, anything like that, you should always have your grab and go kit and your emergency kit. You can find all that information on the website,” he said.
The SCRD website has an entire page dedicated to what and how to pack emergency kits. Bellerby notes, this is also a good time for Coast residents to sign up for the Voyent alert system.
The alert is a multi-purpose communication service used to send alerts during emergency situations. He explains, if there is a localized emergency for a particular region of the Coast, he gets an alert, which he can then immediately send out to anyone who’s registered.
“So, if I personally, as a senior manager of emergency protective services have anything pertinent that I need to make everyone aware of within minutes, I can have that information out to everybody,” says Bellerby. “That you need to leave a certain area and head to a certain area and that's by using the Voyent system. That was not used today, because there was no call to action.”
Earlier update: Be prepared for aftershocks
An hour after the earthquake hit, communications manager for the Sunshine Coast Regional District (SCRD) said that while first responders were on standby, so far there had been no reports of damage.
“The fire chiefs are on it, emergency crews are on it and we're speaking to the RCMP as well,” Aiden Buckley told Coast Reporter. “And there's no known issues right now that we're seeing as a result. All the fire halls are also all in good shape and emergency responders are standing by.”
According to the EmergencyInfoBC, the earthquake was a 5.1 magnitude, and no tsunami warning was issued as a result of the quake.
Buckley said he had just gotten off a conference call with fire chiefs across the Coast and emergency responders are active and available to respond to any situation. He added, the SCRD’s infrastructure services team were out checking on infrastructure, including water-treatment plants and similar structures.
In a press release, the SCRD warned that there may be aftershocks in the hours and days following the earthquake. "If you are at home, stay there if possible. In the event of an aftershock, take cover under a heavy table, desk or any solid furniture that you can get under and hold on to. Avoid areas near windows and protect your head and face."
The release also reminds people to prepare "grab and go" bags that include essential items for the entire household in case you must leave your home quickly and cannot return for several days. "Items will vary based on individual needs, but could include personal I.D., medications, eyeglasses, cash, phone charger, toiletries, food, water, flashlight, pen, and paper. For tips on preparing a grab-&-go bag, please visit: gov.bc.ca/preparedbc."
Ferry delays
As of 4:45 p.m. ferries were delayed more than an hour after being held up for inspections to the Horseshoe Bay and Langdale ferry terminals "to ensure the integrity" of terminal infrastructure.
"We know this may be disruptive, and we appreciate your patience as we complete these important safety checks. Our teams are working as quickly as possible. Please reference our Service Notices for sailing updates as more information becomes available. Thank you for your understanding," said the notice posted just before 2 p.m.
Gibsons resident Stafford Lumley was in the reservation lanes of the Horseshoe Bay terminal when the quake struck. While the reservation lanes were evacuated, as of 2:30 p.m., he said they were back in their cars and the ferry was coming into berth.
Terminal evacuated
Lumley was in his car in the Horseshoe Bay terminal reservation lanes close to the berths when the quake struck. "It felt like a transport truck might have been driving by," he said. "It wasn't as crazy as being in a building –– I don't think I could feel it that much."
Then the ferry staff came by and asked the passengers in the section close to the terminal (those on the hill were not evacuated from what Coast Reporter understands) to get out of their cars and go to the bus terminal beside the ferry building. The evacuated section was full of cars so there were quite a few people evacuated, said Lumley. Talking with Coast Reporter, he was glad to be back in his car, "because I was standing out in the rain, I wasn't really prepared to be in the rain for a long time –– so I was going, 'Oh this is going to really suck.'"
School students safe
School District 46 sent out a notice just after 2 p.m. stating all its students and staff are safe and have returned to their buildings after they followed "established earthquake procedures."
"Schools remain in session and all busses are running for pick-up as usual," said the update. The district also shared resources on supporting children and youth during natural disaster events.
Only nerves rattled at District of Sechelt
District of Sechelt said its infrastructure appears to be unscathed upon initial inspections following the earthquake. Staff will continue to check on infrastructure over coming weeks, they said.
Sechelt asked residents to: remain diligent as there may be aftershocks; report damages to structure or buildings to owners and check in on friends and neighbours, particularly those who are elderly or alone.
Other resources the district shared included: SCRD Emergency Preparedness; Prepare BC; Emergency Info BC; BC Hydro and Earthquake Preparedness Guide.
Quake details
An earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 5.1. struck the south B.C. coast early Friday, Feb. 21 afternoon.
The quake was detected in an area 24 km north-northeast of Sechelt, 35 km west of Squamish, and 60 km northwest of Vancouver, according to Earthquakes Canada.
The department added that the shaker was 1 km in depth and was "lightly felt" in the southwestern part of the province.
Emergency Info BC says there is no tsunami threat.
See information at the Earthquakes Canada website.
Emergency preparedness fair
As a follow-up to the Sechelt Community Association Forum's Emergency Preparedness Town Hall last May, the group is planning an Emergency Preparedness Fair, again for May during Emergency Preparedness Week, where people can purchase emergency kits made by 72 hours.
Reporters react
The Coast Reporter's editorial team members were working from home Friday and were spread across the Coast, here's how they experienced the quake:
Connie in Pender Harbour: (Note, Connie was not working!): Seconds before the quake struck, my dog insisted on coming over to cuddle on the couch, where I had the TV on. I heard rumbling, which I thought was the soundtrack of the movie I was watching. Then I heard what sounded like a loud crack and the house shivered a bit. I thought it was either a car crash on the driveway or a tree hitting the house. I ran outside to look and my emergency warning then went off on my cellphone. It said “earthquake” so I rushed back inside and made sure the dog was in. Nothing since then…
Bronwyn in Gibsons: I was working on my computer in the living room, when I heard a rumble I thought was loud thunder. Then there was a violent jolt and I thought something had fallen upstairs. When things started shaking I was frozen in place on my couch, wondering what I should do for a second or two before diving for my table (somehow a blanket coming along with me). I had forgotten my work and personal phones on my couch, and they kept buzzing with alert sounds (as I’m signed up for a lot of alert systems). When the shaking had stopped for a few seconds, I ran over to grab one, which was blazing “Earthquake detected, drop cover and hold on!” Alerts were still coming in and I was still under my table as I started checking feeds and coordinating our local coverage (and on the side googling “what do I do next in an earthquake” as my mind had gone blank). Text alerts came from Natural Resources Canada as well as Alertable. Through the ordeal, I also realized that in an emergency, I didn’t have an emergency kit I could grab easily if I was terrified and running out the door. That will change this weekend!
Sandra in Sechelt: Since moving to Sechelt last June, I have experienced windstorms with gusts over 100 km/h, atmospheric rivers, extended power outages, highway closures, ferry cancellations due to weather, and the mother of all snowstorm just a couple of weeks ago. But nowhere on my Bingo card did I have bone-shaking earthquake. I was sitting at my desk in my home office and my husband was on the couch, when I heard what sounded like a Harley Davidson motorcycle revving up near our front door. It was so loud, I stood up to walk into the living room. Seconds later there was a loud bang, our entire place started shaking and all of the glasses in the cupboard started rattling. I honestly thought someone had driven into our outside wall. But then seconds later, the emergency alert came over our TV and phones, explaining that an earthquake had hit Sechelt. My initial thought was, of course it has. My next thought was, we better get on this as a team and before I could even walk back to my office, my phone started going off and we all started texting and calling back and forth to come up with a plan.
Do you have a story about the earthquake to share? Email [email protected] or text 604-314-3004.
