How much do you know about hazards in British Columbia? Find out here!

Avalanche

An avalanche is a movement of snow and ice in response to the force of gravity down an incline. The risk of an avalanche is often the most intense in glacial valleys as transportation and infrastructure is subject to what is know as 'avalanche crossfire'. The type of snow, temperature, and wind conditions are critical to avalanche potential. Conditions such as dense, wet snow falling on dry, loosely packed snow may give rise to an avalanche.

Are you interested in learning more about avalanches, and the risk in you area? Find out more.

Flooding

Local flooding is caused by poor or blocked drainage, which is usually associated with heavy precipitation. In addition storm drains, drainage ditches, or natural drainage channels can become blocked by sediment, debris, or ice and cause local flooding. The basic cause of most river floods is excessive rainfall or snow melt which causes significant elevations in river levels.

Find out more about floods in your area here.

Home Fire/Interface Fire

Wildland fires are caused by abnormally hot, dry weather and excessive fuel loading that often makes forest areas particularly vulnerable to lightning strikes and human carelessness. Wildland fires can spread quickly and in close proximity to residences, etc., are known as interface fires. Aside from environmental impact, interface fires become espescially devastating when they encroach upon human settlements and critical infrastructure. They can have an extremely devastating effect on the economy and the lives of those impacted.

A structural fire occurs in residential, commercial, or industrial buildings. The fires can be ignited by a number of causes, including faulty electrical wiring, cooking or heating equipment, and improper use of smoking materials. Structural fires occur in all communities and have the capacity to spread to other infrastructure. Generally, local agencies are able to control the fires without the help of external resources. On occasion the event can become so severe that managing the fire requires assistance. Predicting structural fires is difficult, because most fires are random accidents, not including criminal acts of arson.

Want more information on fires in your area? Click here!

Landslide/Debris Flow

Landslides may be triggered by both natural and human-made changes in the environment. Landslides, debris flows, and debris avalanches are all a result of downward, and outward movement of soil, rocks, and vegetation. Landslides will occur when there is sudden or gradual changes in shear strength and stress conditions. Factors which can trigger a landslide include vibrations from earthquakes, erosion, rain, hail, and snow, weight of buildings and other structures, and decrease in rock or soil.

Landslides are the most destructive geological hazard in Canada. Learn more.

Severe Weather

Snowstorms vary from light sprinkles of snow to accumulations of several meters. Snowstorms have serious impact on highways, local roads, and on infrastructure such as hydro-electric transmission and communication networks.

Extreme rainfall can cause many problems. Most importantly flooding.

Weather warnings
Severe weather driving advice

Earthquake

Earthquakes may cause a number of phenomena including ground motion, surface faulting, ground failure, liquefaction, and tsunamis. Earthquakes are described in terms of magnitude. Damage to buildings begins to occur at a magnitude of 6. Any earthquake above magnitude 7 can be a major disaster if it occurs in a densely populated area.

Earthquakes in Canada

Volcanic Eruption

Volcanic ash in the air is composed of pulverized rock, accompanied by a number of gases, sulphuric acid, and hydrochloric acid. Ash, because it can be dispersed widely, poses significant public health and economic problems. Ash can pollute water supplies, disrupt transportation, and thick accumulations of heavy ash can collapse buildings or other structures.

More volcano information.

Explosions/Gas Leaks

Flammable gases or vapours may cause fire or explosion when mixed with air and ignited. There are five explosion sources: pipelines and utility ducts; soil generated gas; mines; other explosions; and hazardous spills and leaks. All areas that have natural gas pipelines are at risk of gas leaks, fires, and explosions.

Hazardous Materials Accident

Hazardous material spills can occur on any of the known transportation routes in British Columbia. Damage to wildlife is obviously a threat which must be avoided, but spills of dangerous goods such as chlorine gas, if they occur in an area devoid of humans, will dissipate with relatively minor damage to the environment. However, spills or contaminants, even if they are in remote areas, pose a serious threat. When hazards and high population density exist, or alternately, important resources exist together, the vulnerability increases significantly.

For more information on hazardous materials, as well as where to report a spill click here.

Think a disaster couldn't happen in your area? Check the Canadian Disaster Database for detailed information about disasters that have affected Canadians over the past century.