No one knows when the “big one” might come, but the practice for it is on Thursday, Oct. 19.
The annual Great B.C. ShakeOut drill will take place at 10:19 a.m. and the City of Parksville is encouraging residents to take part.
“When a significant natural disaster occurs around the world, we realize how little we are, playing a small part on this constantly moving planet,” reads a Parksville press release.
“We consider our infrastructure, or how prepared we are at home or at the office. We think about the people affected and speculate about what we, our co-workers, or our loved ones would do should a disaster occur. The devastating hurricanes and earthquakes of the past several weeks are a reminder to take steps to be prepared.”
To participate, individuals, businesses and groups can register at www.shakeoutbc.ca, where resources are available to consider what could happen during a large earthquake, how best to be prepared, and ideas for how to simulate an earthquake for the drill.
On Oct. 19 at 10:19 a.m., participants will Drop, Cover and Hold On, meaning they drop to the ground, take cover under a desk or table and hold on for the duration of the simulated earthquake, and then 60 seconds after it’s done.
As of Oct. 12, there are more than 760,000 people participating in the earthquake drill in B.C., and more than 38 million participating in concurrent drills worldwide.
Also as of Oct. 12, there are 18,719 participants registered in the Regional District of Nanaimo.
— NEWS Staff/Parksville news release
