Emergency resources for local authorities and First Nations

Emergency icons

The Province of British Columbia has developed icons representing the most common hazards in B.C. They meet provincial accessibility requirements and are used by the Ministry of Emergency Managemetn and Climate Readiness, and other partners.

Download the icon pack: Hazard and emergency icons for emergency communications (ZIP folder, 3MB)

Communication resources by hazard type

Wildfire

Emergency hashtag:
#BCWildfire

PreparedBC resources:

• Get prepared for a wildfire
• Wildfire Preparedness Guide (PDF, 4MB)

Trusted sources:

• BC Wildfire Service
• Environment and Climate Change Canada (public weather alerts)
• DriveBC

Severe weather

Emergency hashtags:
#BCHeat, #StormReady, #BCstorm

PreparedBC resources:

• Get prepared for severe weather
• Extreme Heat Preparedness Guide (PDF, 9.2MB)
• Winter Weather and Storm Preparedness Guide (PDF, 9.6MB)

Trusted sources:

• Environment and Climate Change Canada (public weather alerts)
• BC Centre for Disease Control (heat response planning)

Avalanches

Emergency hashtag:
#BCAvalanche

PreparedBC resources:

• Get prepared for an avalanche

Trusted sources:

• Avalanche Canada

Earthquakes

Emergency hashtag:
#BCEarthquake

PreparedBC resources:

• Get prepared for earthquakes and tsunamis
• Earthquake and Tsunami Preparedness Guide (PDF, 1.5MB)

Trusted partners:

• Earthquakes Canada

Tsunami

Tsunami notification zones:
B.C.’s coastal communities are divided into five notification zones.

Tsunami Notification Zone A – map (PDF, 1.7MB)

• North coast and Haida Gwaii

Tsunami Notification Zone B – map (PDF, 2.6MB)

• Central coast and northeast Vancouver Island coast including Kitimat, Bella Coola, and Port Hardy

Tsunami Notification Zone C – map (PDF, 2.8MB)

• West coast of Vancouver Island from Cape Scott to Port Renfrew, including Tofino, Ucluelet and Port Alberni

Tsunami Notification Zone D – map (PDF, 1.2MB)

• Juan de Fuca Strait from Jordan River to Greater Victoria, including the Saanich Peninsula, Sooke, Sidney, Langford and Colwood

Tsunami Notification Zone E – map (PDF, 3.2MB)

• Strait of Georgia (including the Gulf Islands)
• Greater Vancouver and Johnstone Strait

Tsunami alert levels:

• Warning: Highest level; imminent or confirmed destructive tsunami
• Advisory: Strong currents possible; avoid beaches and marinas
• Watch: Potential threat; prepare to act
• Cancellation: Previous messages are cancelled when risk has passed.

Emergency hashtag:

#BCTsunami

PreparedBC resources:

• Get prepared for earthquakes and tsunamis
• Earthquake and Tsunami Preparedness Guide (PDF, 1.5MB)

Trusted partners:

• National Tsunami Warning Center
• Earthquakes Canada
• U.S. Geological Survey (USGS)

Landslides

Emergency hashtag:
#BCLandslide

PreparedBC resources:

• Get prepared for a landslide
• Landslide Information Guide (PDF, 2.05MB)

Trusted partners:

• Local authorities
• DriveBC

Power outages

PreparedBC resources:

• Get prepared for a power outage

Trusted partners:

• BC Hydro outage map
• FortisBC outage map

Pandemics and disease outbreaks

PreparedBC resources:

• Get prepared for a pandemic or disease outbreak
• Pandemic Preparedness Guide (PDF, 7.9MB)

Trusted partners:

• B.C. Ministry of Health
• B.C. Centre for Disease Control

Hazardous material spills

PreparedBC resources:

• Get prepared for a hazardous material spill

Trusted partners:

• B.C. Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy
• DriveBC

Community and highway hashtags

Hashtags are widely used to track conversations during emergencies. The BC Community Hashtag list includes commonly used hashtags for communities and highways across the province.

Example community hashtags:
#YVR, #Burnaby, #DeltaBC, #Langley, #RichmondBC, #SurreyBC, #Squamish, #Whistler, #Vancouver, #NorthVan, #WestVan, #SunshineCoast

Example highway hashtags:
#BCHwy1, #BCHwy3, #BCHwy7, #BCHwy99, #BCHwy101, #BCHwy17, #SeatoSky, #BCHwy4, #BCHwy14, #BCHwy19, #BCHwy28, #Malahat, #AlaskaHighway, #Coquihalla

Tourism and emergency information

Emergencies can impact travel, visitors, and tourism-related businesses. Sharing travel-focused emergency information can support those planning or currently on a trip in B.C.

If you are visiting B.C., take the following steps to help you and your family stay safe:

• Familiarize yourself with the local authorities in the areas you are visiting. You can use the CivicInfoBC directory to learn more. 
• Bookmark www.emergencyinfobc.ca for provincial emergency information 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
• Follow @EmergencyInfoBC on X (formerly Twitter) for trusted information about emergencies in B.C.

For tourism operators, review Destination British Columbia’s Emergency Resources for BC’s Tourism Industry for information on how to prepare for emergencies.