In the past, people were told to prepare for being disconnected from emergency and regular government services in the event of a major natural disaster such as an earthquake for up to 72 hours. The means having enough food, water, and medical supplies for people in your household.
At Monday night’s Langley City council meeting, we learned that people need to have enough supplies to be able to camp for two weeks. This is a big change from the original 72 hours recommendation, but is aligned to the realities of major natural disasters.
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Ginger Sherlock, who is the emergency coordinator of the Langley Emergency Program, noted that in a recent full-scale simulation exercise in Washington State, they found that it could take up to two weeks for emergency government services to reach all people. This can be due to things like having bridges collapse, tsunami damage, rockslides, and a host of other challenges.
To help people learn more about how and why we need to be prepared for the “Big One”, the Langley Emergency Preparedness Fair will be happening this weekend.
Saturday from 10 AM to 3 PM
Kwantlen Polytechnic University
20901 Langley Bypass
This free event will have the following:
- Ride on an earthquake simulator
- Talk to subject matter experts about earthquakes and other risks
- Meet first responders
- Sign up for Personal Preparedness sessions
- Enter to win a family Earthquake Kit
More information about this event is available on facebook.
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