The Strathcona Regional District (SRD) will be sending a test alert next week to the West Coast of Vancouver Island Tsunami Warning subscriber list through its free emergency notification system, Alertable.
Subscribers will receive a test alert at 7pm on Monday night, December 4th.
The SRD says the test is occurring during the evening to better ensure that people will directly receive and listen to the notifications sent to their landlines.
The goal is to increase public awareness about the system and spark emergency preparedness conversations, so that everyone can be ready and prepared in the event of an actual Tsunami Warning.
It’s also to ensure the system is operating as intended while allowing SRD Emergency Program staff to practice sending alerts to the public.
The SRD notes that only its local notification system, Alertable, will be tested - you won’t be seeing anything from the Coast Guard, Environment Canada or provincial officials.
The district says Alertable will likely only be used in the event of a distant tsunami that is generated from an area such as Alaska.
If a very long earthquake occurs close to our coast (20 seconds or longer), there will be no time for an official warning to be issued, so learning about and recognizing the natural warning signs of a tsunami is your safest bet.
To learn more, visit Strathcona Regional District.
Sign up to receive alerts at SRD Alerts.