Some residents in southwestern British Columbia are sounding the alarm after reports of sporadic and inconsistent alerts from the national early warning system during the 4.7-magnitude earthquake on Friday.

Complaints first surfaced on social media after the quake centred 24 kilometres north-northeast of Sechelt, B.C., on the Sunshine Coast struck Friday afternoon, with several residents saying they didn香蕉视频直播檛 receive an alert from the Earthquake Early Warning system.

Among them was Campbell River, B.C., teacher and first aid attendant Nat Raedwulf Pogue, who was at her workplace at a local school when the quake struck and only received confirmation of the earthquake after a colleague actively searched for information online.

香蕉视频直播淚t was enough where my desk was shaking, my walls were shaking,香蕉视频直播� Raedwulf Pogue said of the severity of the shaking. 香蕉视频直播淚 came into contact with maybe five or six colleagues immediately afterwards, and none of them had confirmation an earthquake had happened.

香蕉视频直播淚 don香蕉视频直播檛 know of anyone in my immediate vicinity who got an alert.香蕉视频直播�

Other reports on social media platforms such as X and Facebook showed people receiving alerts 15 to 22 minutes after the shaking, while others reported receiving no warning at all where 香蕉视频直播� in some cases 香蕉视频直播� spouses in the same household did receive the alert.

Natural Resources Canada seismologist Alison Bird said Saturday that the alerts sent from the ministry香蕉视频直播檚 Earthquake Early Warning system 香蕉视频直播渁re being evaluated.香蕉视频直播�

But she noted that the timing of when people would receive a warning depends on both their distance from the earthquake and how they receive the alerts.

Bird said the alerts on Friday were only issued in an area around the quake香蕉视频直播檚 epicentre 香蕉视频直播� located on the Sunshine Coast 香蕉视频直播� where 香蕉视频直播渟trong shaking香蕉视频直播� was expected, but some people outside the zone may have also received those warnings.

香蕉视频直播淪ome people outside the area for EEW alerting may have received the alert because their device was able to receive a signal from a cell tower that is within the EEW area,香蕉视频直播� Bird said in a written response. 香蕉视频直播淓veryone within the area of strong shaking 香蕉视频直播� should have received the alert, however.香蕉视频直播�

Bird also said there may be confusion over the federally sent alerts specific to earthquakes and the provincial system 香蕉视频直播� which notifies residents of 香蕉视频直播渟ignificant events香蕉视频直播� that may also include wildfires and other disasters.

B.C. legislative assembly member Brennan Day said he was in Courtenay, B.C., on Vancouver Island on Friday, and he did not know there was an earthquake until he received a text from his father in nearby Dove Creek who felt the shaking but got no warning.

香蕉视频直播淢y wife was at a client香蕉视频直播檚 house 香蕉视频直播� and we香蕉视频直播檙e on the same (mobile service) plan 香蕉视频直播� she got an alert about two or three seconds before the earthquake actually started, which is fantastic,香蕉视频直播� Day said. 香蕉视频直播淏ut I was 10 kilometres away didn香蕉视频直播檛 get an alert.

香蕉视频直播淎 lot of people I know in the (Comox) Valley 香蕉视频直播� are now commenting it香蕉视频直播檚 completely hit-or-miss, whether they got an alert or not. So I think there香蕉视频直播檚 some a serious look that needs to be taken at the emergency alert system, because if it香蕉视频直播檚 done geographically, everybody on certain cellphone towers should have gotten that alert, and that just didn香蕉视频直播檛 happen.香蕉视频直播�

Day, a B.C. Conservative member representing Courtenay-Comox in the provincial legislature, said the region was lucky the warning system 香蕉视频直播済ot a trial run香蕉视频直播� before a larger earthquake struck, but added the sporadic warnings were 香蕉视频直播渁bsolutely a huge concern.香蕉视频直播�

香蕉视频直播淎t the end of the day, if we have a massive earthquake, it香蕉视频直播檚 going to be the matter of life and death whether we can respond 香蕉视频直播� get under a table, get yourself to a safer position 香蕉视频直播� in advance,香蕉视频直播� he said.

香蕉视频直播�(The province) has an emergency preparedness plan, but it needs to work 香蕉视频直播� seconds matter.香蕉视频直播�

Friday香蕉视频直播檚 earthquake has been followed by a number of aftershocks between 1.0 and 2.0 in strength, and there has been no report of damage from the quake that occurred at 1:26 p.m. local time at a depth of about one kilometre.

Raedwulf Pogue, a learning support teacher who works with students with disabilities, said it is especially critical for warning systems to function properly in cases similar to hers, since some have already expressed uneasiness after the shaking Friday.

香蕉视频直播淚 did have a few students who were quite anxious about what happened and just needed confirmation 香蕉视频直播� that yes, it happened, because they really weren香蕉视频直播檛 sure 香蕉视频直播� and also that they were OK,香蕉视频直播� she said.

香蕉视频直播淲e have students with mobility disability, so we would actually need more time to get them into a safe location. And we have students with developmental disabilities where even if their mobility isn香蕉视频直播檛 impacted by their disability, they would need more assurance and more heads-up about what香蕉视频直播檚 happening.

香蕉视频直播淭he more time we have to provide them with what they need to move to a safer spot would prevent, hopefully, injury and limit the danger.香蕉视频直播�

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 22, 2025.

Chuck Chiang, The Canadian Press