And Now a Random Emergency Preparedness Announcement: Earthquake Prep!

Make it your goal to be prepared for a natural disaster by the end of August!

above: from Ponyo!

If you live in the Pacific Northwest, were you aware that we live on a major fault line and are expecting a big earthquake at any moment? I know it's scary and at the time I'm posting this we are in the midst of two public health crises (COVID and opioid crises) already. 

 The good news is that with even a few moments of reading, you will feel infinitely more prepared, trust me. Below is a collection on good resources, tips and tricks, etc, all about earthquake preparedness here in Canada.

 Quick Links for Earthquake Preparedness



I'm already freaked out from COVID-19, how can I even think about earthquake prep?


 I know this is a downer topic. Here are some ways you can motivate yourself to get this done.
Appreciate how awesome the Bennet sister look but plz leave the weapons behind when prepping for an earthquake!
  1. Find a buddy - see if anyone else in your life (i.e. a family member, friend, or partner) wants to work on this project with you. You can make milestones together, and trade ideas (you know, like: Turns out, X store is a great source of X, I found a cool article here, let's agree to have our canned goods ready by X date, etc). Make sure to plan a reward for when you finish!
  2. Pretend you're going camping OR pretend it's zombies - though I'm not a big fan of denial, if you don't want to think about earthquakes, you could start putting together a kit as if you were going on a big, back-country camping trip. How are you going to navigate? What supplies do you need? Similarly, people are into zombie invasion prep, so you could instead prep for zombies (leave the weapons out though, thanks)
  3. Do a drill - okay, I know this seems silly but think of this: whenever your office/place of work does a fire drill, isn't it kind of fun? They did a whole episode of The Office on this, and we all think fondly of Chas Tenenbaum's paranoia. It breaks up the day and gets people excited to do something different. A drill for an earthquake could be similarly entertaining!
  4. Channel your inner heroine - if you're not brave enough to deal with it, then think of someone who is. Maybe Mitsuha Miyamizu from Your Name? Perhaps the calm and cool competence of Scully? If Lizzie Bennet can deal with zombies in another timeline, you can deal with an earthquake.
  5. It doesn't actually take that much time - think practically. If you do your research, you can get everything you need for an earthquake kit in a matter of hours. You can read through the provincial website in a couple hours. A drill could take you 15 mins tops.
  6. Make it part of your routine - If you don't want to fall too far down a hole of despair thinking about earthquakes, chip away at it. Pick month - say, June, and every weekend, take one action towards earthquake preparedness til you feel good. Or, every morning while you're brushing your teeth, read a fact sheet on the Great BC Shakeout.
  7. This doesn't have to be dreary - if you're assembling a kit or going over a checklist for preparing your house for an earthquake, remember it doesn't have to be a total chore! Put on some good music, lipstick, whatever, and get 'er done.


Misc. Tips for Earthquake Prep
Don't be caught offguard by someone like Dwight. Do your own emergency preparedness!

  • Do you camp or hike? Chances are you have a lot of the supplies that you can cross-purpose for your earthquake kit!
  • Having the right amount of water can seem daunting - seriously, who has like, a barrel lying around they can just fill with water? 
    • Remember, you can buy a flat of water bottles from pretty much anywhere (drug store, gas station, etc) 
    • If you have unused growlers or water bottles around, you can fill them with water now! It won't go bad just sitting in your cupboard, and they're also ready to go if you need one sooner
    • Remember to 'recycle' your water! For example, if you do your annual earthquake kit check every July, you can use the old water to water your plants or take it down to the  community garden -- I'm sure it would be appreciated especially in the summer!
  • Since this is kind of a pain/bummer to invest in, might I suggest using your points from loyalty programs? LD Extras, Optimum Points, Petro Points, etc, can all go towards buying items for your earthquake kit if you don't want to spend your 'own' money
  • Much like you follow your transit system for alerts, follow your local or provincial emergency preparedness sources like PreparedBC
  • Not in the Pacific Northwest but want to know if you're in an earthquake zone? Find out here!


If you have 5 minutes...Vancouver Earthquake Preparedness


If Shirley can handle the nonsense of Greendale, you can handle making an earthquake kit

If you have 15 minutes...bigger think pieces on Earthquakes and Disaster Preparedness


Miss Fisher knows a smart women is well read, so take her advice and read one of the piece below!

Canadian Sources for Earthquake Kits
Quakekit.ca in Victoria, B.C.
72hours.ca in Burnaby, B.C. 
BCquake.ca in Port Coquitlam, B.C.

American Sources for Earthquake Kits

above: also from Ponyo!

Songs related to Earthquakes
California Shake by Margo Guryan
Summer Girl by HAIM
Shaky Ground (Hey Na Na) by Freedom Fry

 Movies about Natural Disasters that aren't terrifying
Bonus - both are animated!
Your Name
Ponyo!

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