How quickly could your business recover if a major earthquake hit Vancouver?
Last night's 6.6 magnitude earthquake off the west coast of Vancouver Island shook up island towns like Port Hardy and Campbell River, but did not cause any injuries or damage to buildings. The quake was felt in Vancouver and as far away as Seattle and Kelowna.
Residents and businesses all need to do more work to make sure they are prepared for emergencies like earthquakes, said Jackie Kloosterboer, emergency planning coordinator with the City of Vancouver.
"[Business owners] have got to be thinking about their business, getting their people back to work and again that's where the personal preparedness [comes in]," Kloosterboer said.
For instance, employees who commute long distances need to think about how they'll get home and communicate with family members in the event of a major earthquake, when cell phone service may be down.
"If their staff is prepared, chances are they're going to be able to come back to work much quicker than someone who's not prepared," Kloosterboer said.
The Insurance Bureau of Canada has estimated that a 9.0 magnitude earthquake could cost B.C.'s economy more than $74 billion in direct and indirect loss.
The City of Vancouver offers free emergency preparedness workshops for businesses.
