Two geological experts agree Squamish is not likely to be affected by a tsunami similar to the one that rocked the world on Boxing Day.
Instead, they say, the large-scale geological event Squamish should worry about most is a major landslide.
Dr. John Clague of Simon Fraser University and Bob Turner of the Geological Survey of Canada spoke to a crowd of 40 people Wednesday (March 8) about natural disasters.
Turner said Squamish is uniquely positioned with mountains, ocean, big rivers and a big valley. A fjord, an estuary and five rivers meet here, he said.
"You might call Squamish hazard central," he said. "There's a great diversity of natural hazards."
Combine the natural hazards with the growth Squamish is experiencing and is anticipated to continue seeing in the near future had Turner warning Squamish to take natural hazard risks into account when planning future development.
Turner pointed out that well over half the assessed property in Squamish is located in the floodplain. While flooding is a concern, Turner feels a greater risk to property may exist in the steep valley walls around Squamish. He singled out the unstable slopes on Mount Cayley and Mount Garibaldi and described the two dormant volcanoes as unstable.
Evidence of the instability on the west slope of Mount Garibaldi can be found on the Cheekye Fan. There is geological evidence on the fan suggesting debris from Garibaldi entered the Cheekye River and blocked the Cheakamus River five different times in the last 150 years.
"Mount Garibaldi is a poorly built mountain and it is coming down fast," Turner said.
Clague spoke after Turner and concentrated more on earthquakes and tsunamis. He said Squamish will likely never be affected by a Pacific Ocean tsunami in the way Squamish's partner Sri Lankan village of Waduruppuwa was in December. Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands would take the brunt of such a tsunami coming in this direction. Waves reaching Squamish would be minor, he said.
Clague drew attention to a more localized tsunami trigged by a major slide.
Norway knows these types of tsunamis well. They happen when a significant amount of rock and debris lets go from a steep fjord wall and slams into the water to trigger massive waves. He cited an example of a fishing village in Norway. More than 40 people were killed when 10- to 15-metre waves took out many of the homes in the small village in the 1940s.
As a follow-up to the presentations by the two experts, local emergency preparedness officials are inviting residents to an information session on April 11. Emergency social services director Beryl Taylor said those attending the session will be shown some simple and inexpensive ways to prepare for a disaster.
The event is scheduled to be held at the new emergency services building on Finch Drive starting at 7 p.m. Interested residents are asked to book ahead and Taylor said if there's enough demand for additional sessions more will be set up on other evenings.
To reserve a spot in an information centre call the local emergency program office at 604-815-5060 and leave a message.
