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From destructive wildfires to atmospheric river flooding, British Columbia has been plagued by bugs in recent years.
Amid all the risks, could it simply be that a net is the least harmful position to live in British Columbia?
We brought together 12 experts from across the province to answer a query that almost as many could answer.
Many experts disagreed. Others wanted us well in this effort. Some accepted the challenge and pointed out that this verbal exchange was taking place in their field. Almost everyone said that each and every position in British Columbia is a wonderful job. It involves threats and other people’s lifestyles or Cultural constraints influence where other people live and the threats they face. A network located at the back of a valley would likely face a low wildfire threat, but a high flood threat. Some would probably face few fires but live in an earthquake. prone area.
Interviews with experts and an investigation of B. C. ‘s hazard mapsthat one B. C. network faces fewer dangers than the rest.
Most experts interviewed for this article agreed that parts of Burnaby are among the safest in British Columbia.
“In general, I would say that, away from liquefaction zones, from very comfortable soils, away from the risk of landslides, Burnaby is for the maximum of those areas,” said John Cassidy, a seismic seismologist with Natural Resources Canada based in Victoria.
“The challenge is that it’s very site-specific. “
Cassidy said the spaces surrounding Burnaby Mountain and Capitol Hill would likely enjoy fewer ground tremors because of the underlying bedrock.
The chance of a devastating earthquake in the next 50 years in the Lower Mainland is about 20 percent, Cassidy explained.
“That gives you a rough idea,” he said. That’s our guess. “
Most of Burnathrough is made up of dense glacial soils. Cassidy explains how a mixture of stone, sand and clay, known as til, was compacted during the advance and retreat of glaciers during the last ice age. This left relatively dense deposits. Areas along rivers and streams have the youngest and softest soils.
“When you approach streams, rivers or old filled areas, that’s where you have the softest surface and the highest likely risk of shaking amplification,” the earthquake expert said.
Cassidy said longer-lasting agitation or liquefaction, in which agitation forces water through soil, sand and rocks, turning once-solid soil into a semi-liquid soup, may also play a role.
Highly urbanized spaces like Burnaby tend to face a lower risk of wildfires, especially outside of parks and undeveloped spaces, according to Robert Gray, a Chilliwack-based fire ecologist.
“Areas like the Lower Mainland, even here in the Fraser Valley, towards Abbotsford, are pretty safe,” Gray added.
Armel Castellan, meteorologist in charge of warning preparedness at Environment Canada, said excessive heat is a fear in Burnaby.
“It’s still a matter of rising degrees of heat as we move into this decade,” Castellan said.
Brett Gilley, a professor at the University of British Columbia who teaches about natural disasters, said Burnaby is a safe choice for minimizing environmental risks.
“I’d like to be in wetter places in the province, in places that aren’t at sea level, in places that are far from the floodplain,” Gilley said. “Large areas of Vancouver and Burnaby are a smart example of a region that has fewer of those fears. But some regions are scared everywhere.
Historically, sections of Burnaby, around Still Creek, have been flooded.
“There are actually parts of Burnaby that could experience flooding, but there are also parts of Burnaby that are prone to [flooding],” said flood expert Tamsin Lyle.
Lyle highlighted the spaces adjacent to the Fraser River flood, Still Creek and Burnaby Lake. He said slightly higher spaces in Burnaby, such as the Maywood/Metrotown SkyTrain hall and a ridge along Hastings Street to Simon Fraser University, are due to flooding.
Living in Mount Burnaby, near Simon Fraser University, can pose serious risks, adding to landslides, said Joseph Shea, an associate professor of geography at the University of Northern British Columbia.
“There are rain-induced landslides, and if you mix a primary earthquake with saturated soils and steep slopes, you can end up with an incredibly damaging situation,” Shea said.
The maps show highly threatened liquefaction spaces in central and southern Burnaby, but no threat in Burnaby Mountain.
With respect to tsunami threat, British Columbia’s tsunami ification spaces make Burnaby bigger. The threat of a tsunami in the Pacific is very low along the coasts surrounding Burnaby, as tsunamis lose their maximum power when they hit the shores and engulf the headlands. .
In general, flatter urban areas, away from steep slopes and bodies of water, are the safest places in Burnaby, according to Glacier Media’s analysis.
Each professional interviewed for this article also pointed out that exposure to herbal (or man-made) bugs is best if you understand one hazard at a time. Here is your pick of the safest places in British Columbia to avoid a disaster.
1. Vancouver
Several fjords along British Columbia’s mid-coast have a low wildfire threat, as do communities like Tofino and Ucluelet on Vancouver Island’s west coast, Gray said.
“The south side of the island is a place for fires, the east side of Vancouver Island is a place for fires,” Gray told Glacier Media. “Even Haida Gwaii is starting to dry out a little bit now. Here, too, we have experienced prolonged periods of drought.
“We don’t see the coastline as very flammable or very damaging from a fire perspective, but we’re starting to see changes in weather and weather and that window of fire probability is only increasing. “
The slopes of Chilliwack face a wildfire threat that is worsening due to dry winds blowing from the valley. Along the Sea to Sky corridor, Whistler is also expected to experience an increased likelihood of wildfires in the coming years.
Northern British Columbia, according to Gray, is the fastest-drying region in the province, and the Okanagan Valley is currently the most at risk. Human-induced climate change is expected to cause temperatures in the planet’s northern latitudes to be up to four times faster than the global average.
“We’re talking about staying below the global average of 1. 5 degrees Celsius. Well, the north is already 2. 5 or 3 degrees above that figure,” he said. “It’s going to get worse as we see more primary fires in the north. “
1. Burnaby
There are many places in British Columbia that are absolutely free of flood hazards.
“Anywhere you’re exposed to water, there’s a potential threat of flooding,” Lyle said. “Almost other people live, there’s a flooding challenge because we like to live near water. “
Lyle said there are areas on the Lower Mainland where hills offer a dry, safe haven and are possible smart options to prevent flooding.
Areas along the coast are beginning to experience a combination of coastal flooding due to strong storms, rising sea levels and heavy rainfall, he said.
Municipalities like Port Moody face a greater threat than Burnaby, as they have steep creeks and low-lying spaces along a wide coastline. Places like Bella Coola are located on a floodplain and feature steep slopes and ravines above the city.
Coquitlam faces flooding due to steep streams and the Fraser River floodplain at its southern boundary.
Drew Brayshaw, a geoscientist and hydrologist at Chilliwack, said there are real geotechnical problems along the Coquitlam River. He said the places least likely to flood are high, dry places and above floodplains.
“No position is safe, 100 percent guaranteed against everything,” he said. “That’s why, when we’re looking for locations, we have to balance the trade-offs based on the other hazards. “
Your selection for flooding would be Passage Island and the Gulf Islands, as they are far from primary watersheds, lakes, and small streams.
He and Lyle say low-lying floodplain spaces, spaces near lakes, or built communities facing the sea are at high risk of flooding.
“It’s hard to find a position that doesn’t have flood risk, either direct or indirect,” Lyle said.
1. Prince George
Cassidy said the central component of the province reports the fewest earthquakes, and when they do occur, they tend to be the smallest.
“Along the west coast, right next to Haida Gwaii, is where those giant plates move at about the same speed that fingernails grow,” he said.
About three-quarters of Canada’s earthquakes occur off the West Coast. Large subduction earthquakes, in which one tectonic plate slides violently beneath another, are thought to have traditionally produced quakes greater than nine. Areas like Haida Gwaii, Victoria, and the west coast of Vancouver Island tend to experience more earthquakes.
“Victoria and Vancouver Island are moving about an inch every year into the Lower Mainland, so it’s a movement,” Cassidy says.
As you move inland, away from the boundary of this tectonic plate, the tension building up under your feet rapidly decreases.
Regions from the Okanagan Valley to Cariboo experience fewer earthquakes. Closer to the Rocky Mountains are ancient tectonic faults (fractures in the rocks of the Earth’s crust) that can trigger earthquakes.
“We just don’t see forces working inside the country and the greatest tension is building up on the West Coast,” Cassidy said.
Major coastal earthquakes, such as the magnitude 7. 1 earthquake that struck Vancouver Island in 1918, may be felt only inland, but their effects will be equally catastrophic.
Cassidy said it’s vital not to forget that earthquakes have side effects.
“Some earthquakes will cause tsunamis or cause a landslide in a lake that can cause very gigantic waves in the lakes. So the interior is mountainous, but it is not the same as some coastal mountains or some fjords, so I think the chances of landslides would possibly be lower,” he said.
He noted that the effects of liquefaction, when soils are saturated with water, would possibly not be as dramatic indoors.
“I think a number of things would be less intense in the province,” he said.
With respect to the Lower Mainland, some sections of Coquitlam, Burnaby, Vancouver, and North Vancouver have spaces built on bedrock that undergoes less-to-strong shaking.
1. Coquitlam
Brent Ward, a professor at Simon Fraser University and co-director of the Center for Natural Hazards Studies, didn’t hesitate when asked where B. C. was. It is the most productive position to avoid landslides.
Flatter landscapes built from geological curtains that are unlikely to collapse or sink have a tendency to be safer. Ward said many places in Coquitlam, where sandstone bed sits near the surface of a glacier, face a reduced threat of landslides.
Regarding Vancouver, he said there are very few places where there are slopes steep enough to cause a landslide.
Cassidy said that if there is an earthquake with very strong shaking, the most productive thing to do is to be at the edge of the ocean or a lake, as landslides can fall into a lake and cause a very giant wave.
Mountainous areas affected by earthquakes can cause landslides.
“You can see some literally strong shaking in the most sensitive part of the rocky hills, and of course that can also contribute to a landslide,” Cassidy said.
Ward adds that parts of the north coast are ideal for preventing landslides because of their rocky foundations. However, the higher density of streams and ravines in the area may lead to more landslides, which will worsen with climate change, according to a new study.
Chilliwack could simply face landslides caused by flooding. Port Moody has an escarpment that may be prone to debris flows. And Delta and Richmond have thick, loose sediments, experts say.
After Coquitlam, the Hornby Island Ward’s second choice to prevent landslides in British Columbia. He said the island also faces risks from fires and droughts.
1. Interiors
When it comes to avoiding tsunamis in the Pacific, Cassidy said the safest is the interior of British Columbia.
“A finalist is ‘the heights,'” he said.
But even landslides can generate tsunamis.
“There are no giant tsunamis in the upper seas [such as] Port Alberni, but there would be little warning of a landslide event,” Shea said.
In other areas, some other possible options are not as dangerous for tsunamis in the Pacific.
Shea said the tsunami threat is relatively low in the Vancouver area, especially for tsunamis that affect the entire Pacific.
The most tsunami-prone areas, whether local or remote, are the coasts of Vancouver Island and Haida Gwaii, as well as the mainland coast between the two islands. Shea said it’s critical to avoid really exposed coastlines, especially on the west coast of Vancouver Island.
“Most of downtown doesn’t have the loose floor that we see in Richmond and Delta, but there are wallets around False Creek and parts around Coal Harbor,” Cassidy said.
Professor David Atkinson, professor of geography at the University of Victoria, said he was less concerned about a tsunami coming from the Pacific than a tsunami generated through the collapse of the Fraser River Delta.
“Then we’ll have a tsunami,” he said. If a Delta component comes in, it’s a significant mass. It’s a rock in the water.
Several of the experts interviewed for this article were quick to point out that climate change, evacuation routes, and potential private solutions can affect the safety of a place.
Atkinson said it’s technically conceivable to pile on all the dangers and see which domain stands out.
“You can have an area, a city for example, but all of that is equally dangerous,” he said. “The degrees of risk vary across the city and vulnerability [changes]. “
Colin Goldblatt, an associate professor in the Faculty of Earth and Ocean Sciences at the University of Victoria, believes that seeking the safest position in British Columbia is not the right thing to do.
“I think the question we ask ourselves is: if we know climate change is coming, what do we want to do to adapt the communities we live in and mitigate the effects of climate change?” he said.
He believes that all communities will be affected by climate change. Inland climates have high temperatures with very cold winters and hot summers; On the coast, where such excessive temperatures are so present, there are other risks.
“We want to think about how we manage our forests, we want to think about how we manage our river systems,” dijo. la floodplain.
Glacier Media has requested information about the floodplain threat from the British Columbia government, but said the most recent map is from 2011. The provincial government has refused to hire experts for this story.
“We cannot put one network before another,” said a spokesperson for the Ministry of the Environment. “Our project is to make each and every network climate-friendly. That’s why we’re investing more than $44 million in more than 70 projects in 63 communities.
Environment Canada’s Castellán said the task of locating the safest position is an “excellent” verbal exchange starter and that some put options can be identified.
“We have to think that drought and heat are things that have become components of our landscape and that are going to happen,” he said.
According to Castellan, Haida Gwaii and the North Shore are two of British Columbia’s least disaster-prone regions, largely because they will be exposed to fewer wildfires and the smoke that accompanies them. He hurriedly climbed that the degrees of the sea are rising. , potentially endangering anyone living in a coastal floodplain.
“If you’re looking for the outdoors, Haida Gwaii would be a wonderful position for most of the year,” he said.
Castellan strongly believes that each and every network can take steps to become more resilient and increase its security.
“B. C. has experienced high-impact weather, severe events have occurred. And the effects of floods, fires, poor air quality and all of that are expected to continue,” Castellan told Glacier Media.
“We want to think about what we can do to mitigate those recurring events. “
Paul Edmonds, a personal emergency management consultant, spends his time assessing hazards, conducting threat assessments, and creating evacuation plans. He said everyone needs to be aware of the threats on the network they live on.
“I want to do it with the environment around me,” he said. There are some incredibly charming places in British Columbia. There are choices I want and choices I won’t make.
When he thinks of the safest place, Edmonds thinks of the direction of escape and worries about places like Vancouver Island and the Lower Mainland. A catastrophic tsunami or earthquake would have serious consequences if an attempt is made to break out of Vancouver Island and cause stagnation on the Lower Mainland, he said.
For one thing, there is a single position in B. C. no threat; On the other hand, Edmonds said a user can simply live off an asset for generations and never face an environmental disaster.
“I think other people want to do their homework when they’re hunting on their property,” he said.
As a journalist in British Columbia since 2017, I have seen firsthand the effects of Mother Nature. I have conducted countless interviews with flood and fire victims and have noticed the destruction that other people are experiencing. From 2017 to 2019, I covered Okanagan forest chimneys and reported on landslides and flooding, including a giant landslide that closed Highway 97. I reported on the devastating Lytton Fire and interviewed countless First Nations communities who lost their rich history after Mother Nature swept away with chimneys and floods. A few days before a giant smokestack hit Logan Lake’s grid, I was there to talk to the mayor about his smokestack prevention program. Then in 2021, I interviewed ministry staff about why others were trapped on Highway 7 in Hope for hours after a landslide cut off the Lower Mainland from the rest of the province. By attempting to answer the question in this article, I hope to create a broader verbal exchange about climate resilience in the places we live.
akelly@glaciermedia. ca
twitter. com/AlannaKellyNews
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