People In BC Are 'Concerned' About The 'Big One' & Some Have Earthquake Kits Ready To Go

People on Reddit have been speculating about when Vancouver may get hit by the "Big One" — a term for the next large earthquake to hit the Pacific coastline of North America.

A Reddit user asked people if they were worried about the "Big One" hitting the West Coast, and some commenters said they have their earthquake kits ready to go.

The user who asked the question said that "geologists say a massive earthquake will almost certainly hit south-western British Columbia in the coming years, with the odds as high as 30% over the next half-century."

The U.S. Geological Survey has said that there is a 70% probability of at least one magnitude 6.7 or greater quake before 2030, although their studies refer to a quake hitting the San Francisco Bay region.

In 2018, Global News reported that there is a 12% probability a "Cascadia megathrust earthquake" will hit in the next 50 years, according to the Office of the Auditor General of B.C.

In the Reddit thread, some are concerned about the earthquake itself, while others are worried about the tsunami that can come after a big earthquake.

So far on the thread, 497 people responded that they are concerned, and 454 responded that they are not.

Some people said they are staying prepared.

"It’s going to be a sh*tshow when it happens and I think everyone should be prepared to take care of themselves for several days, and I find it strange that most people seem to be unconcerned, but it doesn’t occupy my mind every day," one user said.

They had some recommendations for people and reminded them of the devastating weather experienced last year.

"Being prepared for 72 hours is a good baseline, but if you look at how long it took to get help and food to the towns that were cut off in November, such as Hope, you’ll quickly realize that it’s not enough, especially considering the damage will be much worse during the earthquake. If we’re really lucky, we’ll still have a transportation route open from the interior," the user added.

Others said they are keeping earthquake kits handy.

Some people seemed to have given up, basically.

People from B.C. are probably the most prepared.

After flooding and other emergencies in B.C., the earthquake may be on the minds of more people.

Some have reached a middle ground of not being too concerned but also being ready.

In October 2021, a Canadawide Earthquake drill told people how to proceed in case one hit.

In December 2021, an earthquake actually did strike 45 kilometres southwest of Vancouver, and although apartments were shaking, no injuries were reported.