Author Topic: Tsunami Warning in BC  (Read 259 times)

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Offline BC_cheque

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Tsunami Warning in BC
« on: January 23, 2018, 04:39:14 pm »
Mr. BC_C has a fear of tsunamis and I have a fear of bears.  We live pretty high in the mountains so his fear is accommodated while mine is faced a couple of times a year. 

I always thought his fear is irrational but today he gets to come home and give me a big fat 'I told you so' to which my only saving face will be 'yeah but it didn't'.

Seriously though, wtf.  There was no text, no warning, nothing on social media until after the warning was lifted. 

Squid, if you read this, did you guys get more warning?  I feel very neglected as a resident right now. 

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Offline Michael Hardner

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Re: Tsunami Warning in BC
« Reply #1 on: January 23, 2018, 04:55:36 pm »
Wow.  Hawaii got mass broadcast of warnings for the recent missile scare.

Offline Goddess

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Re: Tsunami Warning in BC
« Reply #2 on: January 23, 2018, 05:30:08 pm »
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There was no text, no warning, nothing on social media until after the warning was lifted. 

 :o  Well that's scary.

I'm with you on the bears, though.  Had a couple encounters in Fort Mac.
"A religion without a Goddess is half-way to atheism."

Offline TimG

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Re: Tsunami Warning in BC
« Reply #3 on: January 23, 2018, 05:44:48 pm »
Mr. BC_C has a fear of tsunamis and I have a fear of bears.  We live pretty high in the mountains so his fear is accommodated while mine is faced a couple of times a year.
If you don't live on the west side of Vancouver Island there is likely nothing to worry about. Vancouver Island is a giant wall that protects the coast. They have apparently done soil studies in Vancouver and can't find any evidence of historical tsunamis. OTOH, the lack of warning should be a serious concern for those people who do live in tsunami central.

Offline BC_cheque

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Re: Tsunami Warning in BC
« Reply #4 on: January 23, 2018, 06:09:29 pm »
Wow.  Hawaii got mass broadcast of warnings for the recent missile scare.

Mr. BC_C just got home and he was in White Rock today (southern part of Metro Van) and apparently there were loudspeaker warnings in the street.  Maybe because of where I was, there was nothing.

Offline BC_cheque

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Re: Tsunami Warning in BC
« Reply #5 on: January 23, 2018, 06:11:21 pm »
If you don't live on the west side of Vancouver Island there is likely nothing to worry about. Vancouver Island is a giant wall that protects the coast. They have apparently done soil studies in Vancouver and can't find any evidence of historical tsunamis. OTOH, the lack of warning should be a serious concern for those people who do live in tsunami central.

I used to believe that about Vancouver Island protecting Metro Van but came to find out a little while ago that it's not true. 

In fact, the warnings today actually included Vancouver. 

Offline BC_cheque

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Re: Tsunami Warning in BC
« Reply #6 on: January 23, 2018, 06:12:17 pm »
:o  Well that's scary.

I'm with you on the bears, though.  Had a couple encounters in Fort Mac.

I've come face to face with them a few times now.  It never gets easier.

Offline TimG

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Re: Tsunami Warning in BC
« Reply #7 on: January 23, 2018, 06:24:12 pm »
I used to believe that about Vancouver Island protecting Metro Van but came to find out a little while ago that it's not true. 

In fact, the warnings today actually included Vancouver.
https://www.richmond.ca/safety/prepare/city/hazards/tsunamis/tsunamistudy.htm

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Although direct evidence of tsunami impacts is lacking, a computer model  showing the propagation of tsunami waves from a great earthquake releasing 500 years of accumulated strain on the Cascadia subduction zone has recently been developed by a group of oceanographers at the Institute of Ocean Sciences in Sidney, British Columbia. Their simulation model predicts that a great earthquake at the Cascadia subduction zone will generate tsunami waves about 5–10 m high on the outer coast (Fig. 6). These large waves gradually diminish in height as they move through Juan de Fuca Strait and the narrows between the San Juan and Gulf Islands. The leading edge of the first wave is forecast to reach Boundary Bay on the southern foreshore of the Fraser River delta about 2 hours and 5 minutes after the earthquake. Because Boundary Bay is oriented at right angles to the direction of wave travel, this wave grows to a height of about 1 metre. The second wave, which is approximately the same size as the first, arrives at about three hours and 30 minutes. A third, slightly smaller, wave arrives at about five hours. By six hours this wave grows to almost 2 metres in height. Unlike Boundary Bay, the western foreshore of the Fraser delta lies parallel to the direction of wave travel, and the maximum wave heights on this foreshore are forecast to be much smaller (less than 0.5 metre).
So we have a computer model but absolutely no historical evidence of tsunamis. This is in contrast with Vancouver Island where historical evidence is plentiful (including first nations oral history). The computer models may be enough to justify spending money to shore up Richmond's dikes but I am not going to worry.

Offline kimmy

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Re: Tsunami Warning in BC
« Reply #8 on: January 23, 2018, 07:25:24 pm »
I heard that the tsunami warning system worked pretty well.  A co-worker has family in Haida Gwai who were rousted in the middle of the night.

I heard that the actual tsunami was only 3cm high.

"Brace for impact... brace for impact..."  *splish!*  "Ok! We're clear!"

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Offline Michael Hardner

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Re: Tsunami Warning in BC
« Reply #9 on: January 24, 2018, 05:51:57 am »
The 'news' said the system worked.  If it didn't then that's a failure of public dialogue and you owe it to yourself and everyone to make some noise.  I would start with your local Twitter newsfeed and get them to send the story to larger outlets.

Offline Michael Hardner

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Re: Tsunami Warning in BC
« Reply #10 on: January 24, 2018, 05:52:34 am »
Actually - if you can find a twitter feed that carries the story (ie. of no warning given) post it, and I will retweet.

Offline Squidward von Squidderson

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Re: Tsunami Warning in BC
« Reply #11 on: January 24, 2018, 02:20:22 pm »
No warning system where I am, but it’s a low risk area, even at sea level.   West coast is the high risk area.

Offline Omni

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Re: Tsunami Warning in BC
« Reply #12 on: January 24, 2018, 02:30:12 pm »
No warning system where I am, but it’s a low risk area, even at sea level.   West coast is the high risk area.

I am in a low risk area as well, but there was a warning that went out on CBC radio for one, if you happened to be listening. The high risk areas such as Tofino and Ucluelet reportedly had sirens blaring on their beaches.

Offline Squidward von Squidderson

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Re: Tsunami Warning in BC
« Reply #13 on: January 24, 2018, 09:07:47 pm »
I am in a low risk area as well, but there was a warning that went out on CBC radio for one, if you happened to be listening. The high risk areas such as Tofino and Ucluelet reportedly had sirens blaring on their beaches.

Ucluelet, Tofino, Port Alberni, and other west coast towns/villages have alarm systems that blare throughout the towns.   The evacuations there are very serious.

In 1964 a Tsunami hit Port Alberni and destroyed much of the town and killed a whole bunch of people.


Offline BC_cheque

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Re: Tsunami Warning in BC
« Reply #14 on: January 26, 2018, 05:27:46 pm »
Actually - if you can find a twitter feed that carries the story (ie. of no warning given) post it, and I will retweet.

There seemed to be some confusion that day.  I remember reading somewhere that the warnings included Vancouver but as time went on I found out that it was just for the coastal cities. 

They seemed to have done a great job in those cities.