May 09, 2023 – Amy Judd & Kylie Stanton/Global News

If a magnitude 9.0 earthquake struck in the Cascadia subduction zone, along the B.C. and U.S. coast, tsunami waves would reach the outer coast of northwest Vancouver Island in about 20 minutes.

The waves would be an estimated 5.9 metres high, followed by runup on the land that may exceed 12 metres of elevation.

This is just part of the findings of a coastal hazard assessment plan for B.C.’s coast in order to help communities and the province plan for emergencies.

“We regularly work with communities on their tsunami activities preparedness and plans,” Minister of Emergency Management and Climate Readiness Bowinn Ma told Global News Tuesday.

“We have funding provided through the Community Preparedness Fund to support communities in work that they do so as an example, Tofino recently received funding to plan a vertical escape structure for their residents.”

Ma said the province does have staff 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, monitoring seismic activity off the coast and if a tsunami could occur at that time. She added that if a risk of a tsunami is determined, then the provincial government does have the ability to broadcast emergency alerts to communities at risk.

“I was out in Ucluelet just in April and participating in their high-ground hike,” Ma added. “So communities, during tsunami preparedness week, perform or often engage in these high-ground hikes and tsunami preparedness activities where they practice with the community where the high ground is in a community.”

Read the full article at globalnews.ca.