The Strathcona Regional District is encouraging residents to get involved in a series of emergency preparedness activities later this month as part of Tsunami Preparedness Week.

Four exercises are planned between April 13th and 17th, including three High Ground Hikes designed to raise awareness and help people better prepare in the event of a tsunami.

There will also be siren tests and Alertable notification tests.

The District says the goal is to build stronger community resilience, noting that emergencies often require neighbours to rely on one another for support, resources, and assistance during recovery.

This year’s exercises will focus on distant tsunamis generated from the Alaska-Aleutian Subduction Zone, which represents the second-highest tsunami risk to west coast communities in the region.

In those scenarios, waves could arrive roughly three hours and 15 minutes after a major earthquake, with projected wave heights ranging from just under three metres in Yuquot to nearly seven metres in Gold River.

However, officials stress that the greatest tsunami threat comes from the Cascadia Subduction Zone, much closer to the coast.

In those cases, warning times are significantly shorter, with waves potentially arriving in as little as 25 minutes in some communities.

The District says if a strong earthquake occurs near the coast, people should immediately drop, cover, and hold on, then move to higher ground as soon as the shaking stops.

SRD Manager of Emergency Services, Shaun Koopman says residents should not wait for official alerts, as warning systems may be damaged and are primarily intended for distant tsunami events, adding  the earthquake itself is a warning.

As part of the High Ground Hikes, the SRD will also host free community barbecues at designated tsunami muster sites.

Participants will be entered into prize draws, with items including portable battery chargers and household emergency preparedness kits.

A full schedule of Tsunami Preparedness Week events is available at Strathcona Regional District.