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Yahoo
a day ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
In Tofino, B.C., two different reactions to the tsunami advisory news
Taking advantage of his day off on Tuesday, Brian Gray muted his social media and walked for hours along the trail above Tonquin Beach in Tofino, B.C. By the time he got home, it was 9 p.m., and he'd completely missed any news about the tsunami advisory hours earlier. He returned to work for his opening shift at Rhino Coffee House on Campbell Street find a noticeable split in the way customers and colleagues were debriefing: nonchalant locals talking about the tsunami news "like it was the hockey game last night," while deeply concerned visitors looked for reassurance the risk was truly gone. Gray, 31, says he reassured a colleague from Denmark who was in tears. "There's definitely a divide and reaction between people who aren't from Tofino and people who are out of town," said Gray, who moved to the surf town from Nova Scotia five years ago. "Seems to be the farther you are away from here, the more worried you are about the earthquake." Emergency officials in B.C. issued a tsunami advisory for parks of the B.C. coast on Tuesday after a major 8.8-magnitude earthquake east of Russia. In the end, only small waves lapped at the edge of Vancouver Island's beaches and the notice was cancelled early Wednesday. The notice came as another good practice run for locals who know the drill, but was an unnerving experience for visitors reading messages like that for the first time. 'Not this again' It's not that locals don't take earthquake and tsunami risks seriously — they're well aware a major earthquake from the Cascadia Subduction Zone would be catastrophic. They've just practiced. "The local girls who grew up here were saying, 'We've evacuated before, we've done the drills, and everyone's like literally run for their lives before," said Gray. WATCH | Where 'The Big One' could strike off Vancouver Island: Living in an off-grid home just a metre above sea level, Marcie Callewaert-John has long been prepared in case she needs to grab her dogs and hike up to higher ground in a hurry. She said she and her neighbours near Tofino "weren't too concerned" Tuesday, having just brushed up on their plans after a 7.2-magnitude earthquake off the southern tip of Alaska in mid-July. "I was like, 'Not this again,'" Callewaert-John told CBC's All Points West of the second tsunami advisory in as many weeks. "One neighbour had no plans to change anything and was concerned about nothing. They were going straight to bed at 9:00 [p.m.] as usual," she continued. "Another was already in the process of hiking up to a cabin at a higher location. They are a little more exposed and just wanted to play it safe and that's totally understandable." Beachfront hotels were also fresh off a practice run. Staff at Crystal Cove Beach Resort were ready Tuesday after evacuating 425 people in 11 minutes from their Ponsford Beach site after the Alaskan earthquake, though it wasn't necessary in the end. "We're lucky that that's what the end result was last night. It was really nothing," general manager J.J. Belanger said Wednesday. "But good practice, again, when you've got a full resort and a full community." Visitors to the area were left uneasy, unsure what the term "advisory" meant or what they should do. One couple on their honeymoon from England said they never got an emergency alert because their cellphone data was switched off to avoid roaming fees. They woke up around 5:30 a.m. and read about the hours-old advisory the news. "It was pretty scary, especially because where we're staying is right on the water. There's signs along the road talking about a tsunami but I've never really thought about it being an issue here," said Kasia Weir, speaking alongside her new husband on Wednesday. "Then suddenly you wake up and you're like, 'Oh, there could've been something really serious that happened.'" WATCH | The science behind earthquakes and tsunamis: Seismologists and politicians characterized the advisory on Tuesday as another reminder for British Columbians to always be prepared for "The Big One," especially if they're exposed on the west side of Vancouver Island or up the coast of the mainland. "We can always do more in terms of public education," said Brent Ward, co-director of the Centre for Natural Hazards Research. "But we do kind of worry about fatigue if there's a lot of warnings and nothing much happens, then when a real one happens, it can be devastating." Speaking in an interview after wrapping his shift on Wednesday, Gray said he missed the District of Tofino's Voyent Alerts on Tuesday because he hadn't had the chance re-register after switching to a new phone number three weeks ago. He promptly signed himself back up after last night. "I would never want to miss an alert again," Gray said. In the CBC Vancouver podcast Fault Lines, seismologist Johanna Wagstaffe takes listeners through two disastrous scenarios so they can prepare themselves, their families and their neighbours in the event of an earthquake. Download Fault Lines on CBC Listen, Apple Podcasts and Google Podcasts.
CBC
a day ago
- Climate
- CBC
In Tofino, B.C., two different reactions to the tsunami advisory news
Locals and visitors in Tofino, B.C., absorbed tsunami advisory differently 1 hour ago Duration 2:59 Social Sharing Taking advantage of his day off on Tuesday, Brian Gray muted his social media and walked for hours along the trail above Tonquin Beach in Tofino, B.C. By the time he got home, it was 9 p.m., and he'd completely missed any news about the tsunami advisory hours earlier. He returned to work for his opening shift at Rhino Coffee House on Campbell Street find a noticeable split in the way customers and colleagues were debriefing: nonchalant locals talking about the tsunami news "like it was the hockey game last night," while deeply concerned visitors looked for reassurance the risk was truly gone. Gray, 31, says he reassured a colleague from Denmark who was in tears. "There's definitely a divide and reaction between people who aren't from Tofino and people who are out of town," said Gray, who moved to the surf town from Nova Scotia five years ago. "Seems to be the farther you are away from here, the more worried you are about the earthquake." Emergency officials in B.C. issued a tsunami advisory for parks of the B.C. coast on Tuesday after a major 8.8-magnitude earthquake east of Russia. In the end, only small waves lapped at the edge of Vancouver Island's beaches and the notice was cancelled early Wednesday. The notice came as another good practice run for locals who know the drill, but was an unnerving experience for visitors reading messages like that for the first time. 'Not this again' It's not that locals don't take earthquake and tsunami risks seriously — they're well aware a major earthquake from the Cascadia Subduction Zone would be catastrophic. They've just practiced. "The local girls who grew up here were saying, 'We've evacuated before, we've done the drills, and everyone's like literally run for their lives before," said Gray. WATCH | Where 'The Big One' could strike off Vancouver Island: Clearer picture of B.C.'s 'big one' emerges — and it's not good 1 year ago Living in an off-grid home just a metre above sea level, Marcie Callewaert-John has long been prepared in case she needs to grab her dogs and hike up to higher ground in a hurry. She said she and her neighbours near Tofino "weren't too concerned" Tuesday, having just brushed up on their plans after a 7.2-magnitude earthquake off the southern tip of Alaska in mid-July. "I was like, 'Not this again,'" Callewaert-John told CBC's All Points West of the second tsunami advisory in as many weeks. "One neighbour had no plans to change anything and was concerned about nothing. They were going straight to bed at 9:00 [p.m.] as usual," she continued. "Another was already in the process of hiking up to a cabin at a higher location. They are a little more exposed and just wanted to play it safe and that's totally understandable." Beachfront hotels were also fresh off a practice run. Staff at Crystal Cove Beach Resort were ready Tuesday after evacuating 425 people in 11 minutes from their Ponsford Beach site after the Alaskan earthquake, though it wasn't necessary in the end. "We're lucky that that's what the end result was last night. It was really nothing," general manager J.J. Belanger said Wednesday. "But good practice, again, when you've got a full resort and a full community." Visitors to the area were left uneasy, unsure what the term "advisory" meant or what they should do. One couple on their honeymoon from England said they never got an emergency alert because their cellphone data was switched off to avoid roaming fees. They woke up around 5:30 a.m. and read about the hours-old advisory the news. "It was pretty scary, especially because where we're staying is right on the water. There's signs along the road talking about a tsunami but I've never really thought about it being an issue here," said Kasia Weir, speaking alongside her new husband on Wednesday. "Then suddenly you wake up and you're like, 'Oh, there could've been something really serious that happened.'" WATCH | The science behind earthquakes and tsunamis: Here's how earthquakes can cause tsunamis 4 hours ago Earth's tectonic plates shift slowly — about nine centimetres per year, slightly faster than fingernails grow. This movement can trigger powerful earthquakes. Seismologist John Cassidy explains the science behind earthquakes and why they can lead to tsunamis. Seismologists and politicians characterized the advisory on Tuesday as another reminder for British Columbians to always be prepared for " The Big One," especially if they're exposed on the west side of Vancouver Island or up the coast of the mainland. "We can always do more in terms of public education," said Brent Ward, co-director of the Centre for Natural Hazards Research. "But we do kind of worry about fatigue if there's a lot of warnings and nothing much happens, then when a real one happens, it can be devastating." Speaking in an interview after wrapping his shift on Wednesday, Gray said he missed the District of Tofino's Voyent Alerts on Tuesday because he hadn't had the chance re-register after switching to a new phone number three weeks ago. He promptly signed himself back up after last night. "I would never want to miss an alert again," Gray said.
CBC
2 days ago
- Climate
- CBC
B.C. lifts tsunami advisory after major earthquake off Russian coast
Social Sharing The British Columbia government has cancelled a tsunami advisory that was issued after a massive underwater earthquake struck off the coast of Russia — one of the strongest ever recorded. The advisory initially said tsunami waves of less than 30 centimetres were expected to hit Tofino, B.C., around 11:30 p.m. PT Tuesday. The earthquake was given a preliminary magnitude of 8.8. Overnight, the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said the waves were highest in B.C. at Langara Island, on the northern tip of Haida Gwaii, at 27 centimetres. They were 21 centimetres in Tofino. The Ministry of Emergency Management and Climate Readiness issued a bulletin Wednesday morning saying the province was standing down its operations centre. "No zones of coastal British Columbia are at risk. Repeat, no zones of coastal British Columbia are at risk," the 6:25 a.m. PT bulletin read. While the advisory was in place, British Columbians were being urged to stay away from the coast. The District of Tofino had closed beaches and the province's emergency information agency warned of strong waves and currents. WATCH | B.C. coast tsunami advisory lifted: Tsunami advisory cancelled for B.C. coast after massive Pacific earthquake 2 hours ago A tsunami advisory for multiple parts of the B.C. coast was cancelled early Wednesday following a large earthquake in the Pacific basin near Russia on Tuesday. The quake struck just before 4:25 p.m. PT on Tuesday, about 119 kilometres east-southeast of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, a city of about 180,000 residents in Russia's Kamchatka region. The preliminary magnitude of 8.8 would make it the world's strongest quake since 2011, and one of the 10 most powerful recorded since 1900, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. Signs alerting people about the now-cancelled tsunami advisory had been posted at Wickaninnish Beach in Pacific Rim National Park, southeast of Tofino, but people continued to take in Tuesday's sunset, although the parking lot was mostly empty. Campers at the JX Surf Shop campground between Tofino and Ucluelet on Vancouver Island were glued to their phones Tuesday night searching for news about the tsunami, but most campers appeared to be staying put. Beyond B.C., the quake sent tsunami waves into Japan, Hawaii and the U.S. West Coast. Several people were injured, but none gravely, and no major damage has been reported so far. Authorities warned the risk from the quake could last for hours, and millions of people potentially in the path of the waves were initially told to move away from the shore or seek high ground. The worst appeared to have passed for many areas, including the U.S., Japan and the affected parts of Russia. But Chile raised its tsunami warning to the highest level for most of its lengthy Pacific coast and said it was evacuating hundreds of people. In the immediate aftermath of the quake off Russia's Kamchatka peninsula, residents fled inland as ports flooded, and several were injured while rushing to leave buildings.
CTV News
2 days ago
- Climate
- CTV News
Small tsunami forecast in B.C., beaches closed, after massive 8.7 quake off Russia
A powerful 8.8-magnitude earthquake off the east coast of Russia has prompted a tsunami advisory for most of the B.C. coast, Hawaii and the U.S. west coast. A powerful 8.8-magnitude earthquake off the east coast of Russia has prompted a tsunami advisory for most of the B.C. coast, Hawaii and the U.S. west coast. Most of British Columbia's coast is under a tsunami advisory, triggered by one of the biggest earthquakes ever recorded struck off the coast of southeastern Russia. The province's emergency information agency had said tsunami waves less than 30 centimetres high were forecast to reach Tofino, B.C., around 11:30 p.m. Tuesday, but there's been no immediate confirmation the waves have arrived. Emergency Info BC says waves are expected in a series, 'and the first may not be the biggest,' and it's encouraging people in affected areas to stay away from the shoreline. The District of Tofino says all beaches are closed until further notice. The massive quake with a preliminary magnitude of 8.8 set off tsunami advisories and warnings around the Pacific, with the U.S. National Tsunami Warning Centre saying waves higher than three metres are possible in parts of Hawaii, Ecuador and Russia. Signs alerting people about the tsunami advisory were posted at Wickaninish Beach in Pacific Rim National Park, southeast of Tofino, but people continued to take in the sunset, although the parking lot was mostly empty. Campers at the JX Surf Shop campground between Tofino and Ucluelet on Vancouver Island were glued to their phones Tuesday night searching for the news about the tsunami. But most campers appeared to be staying put for the night The waves had been expected to reach B.C. around 10:05 p.m. at remote Langara Island at the northern tip of Haida Gwaii. If the preliminary magnitude is confirmed, the quake would be among the 10 most powerful recorded since 1900, and the most powerful since the devastating 2011 Tohoku earthquake off Japan, according to a list compiled by the U.S. Geological Survey. Multiple aftershocks with one as strong as 6.9 in magnitude were recorded on Tuesday. Japan's Meteorological Agency said a tsunami as high as 60 centimetres had been detected as waves from the Russian quake moved south along the Pacific coast from Hokkaido to Tokyo Bay. The tsunami advisory was in effect for most of B.C.'s coast, including Greater Victoria. The affected B.C. zones included the North Coast and Haida Gwaii, the Central Coast and northeastern Vancouver Island, including Kitimat, Bella Coola and Port Hardy, and the outer west coast of Vancouver Island from Cape Scott to Port Renfrew. The tsunami advisory also covered the Juan de Fuca Strait from the Jordan River area to Greater Victoria, including the Saanich Peninsula. But it did not include the Strait of Georgia, Gulf Islands, Johnstone Strait or Greater Vancouver. The U.S. National Tsunami Warning Center says a tsunami advisory is the second of three levels used by the United States and Canada. A tsunami warning — the highest level — was in place for coastal areas near the Oregon-California border. Emergency Info BC had said local governments in affected areas were being urged to activate emergency plans and consider evacuating marinas, beaches and other areas near the ocean. An advisory posted by Environment Canada, meanwhile, said there was a 'possibility of strong localized currents.' It said no significant inundation was expected, but low-lying coastal areas and beaches may be at risk. The weather agency said people in coastal areas were advised to stay away from the shoreline and stay alert for any instructions from emergency authorities. The quake struck just before 4:25 p.m. Pacific time on Tuesday, occurring about 119 kilometres east-southeast of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, a city of about 180,000 residents in Russia's Kamchatka region. Russian news agencies reported damage and evacuations in areas nearest the quake's epicentre on the Kamchatka peninsula, but no serious injuries. There were reports from Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky that people had run out into the street without shoes or outerwear, while cabinets toppled inside homes, mirrors were broken, cars swayed in the street, and balconies on buildings shook. Tsunami warning sirens blared in Honolulu, where people were told to move to higher ground after the quake. Hawaii Gov. Josh Green said data from Midway Atoll, which is between Japan and Hawaii, measured waves from peak to trough of 1.8 metres. The impact of the tsunami could last for hours or perhaps more than a day, said Dave Snider, tsunami warning coordinator with the U.S. National Tsunami Warning Center in Alaska 'A tsunami is not just one wave,' he said. 'It's a series of powerful waves over a long period of time. Tsunamis cross the ocean at hundreds of miles an hour — as fast as a jet airplane — in deep water. But when they get close to the shore, they slow down and start to pile up. And that's where that inundation problem becomes a little bit more possible there.' With files from Dirk Meissner and The Associated Press This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 29, 2025. This is a corrected story. A previous version said the quake struck off the southwestern Russian coast. In fact, it was off the southeastern coast. By Brenna Owen
CTV News
16-07-2025
- Climate
- CTV News
B.C. tsunami risk ‘being evaluated' after earthquake near Alaska
A tsunami hazard sign is seen in Tofino, B.C., in this undated file photo. The potential tsunami risk to B.C. is being evaluated after a 7.2-magnitude earthquake rattled off the coast of Alaska Wednesday, according to officials. EmergencyInfoBC posted to social media just before 2 p.m. telling people to 'stand by for B.C.-specific info.' A tsunami warning is in effect for portions of Alaska. The quake was located roughly 80 kilometres south of Sandspit, measured at a depth of approximately 35 kilometres, according to U.S. officials. This is a developing story more to come.
