Cascadia Fault Poised To Unleash Monster Earthquake

The Cascadia fault line is poised to unleash a “killer quake,” and the folks at FEMA are prepping for the worst. Although the San Andreas fault in California may be the most well-known fault line in the country, the Cascadia subduction zone has the potential to possibly spark even more deadly earthquakes.

The Cascadia subduction zone runs from northern California to Vancouver and encompasses approximately 700 miles.

A report in the New Yorker states the the subduction zone had been dormant for stretches of 243 years on average. At the end of each dormancy period, the fault is believed to unleash its fury and creates “monstrous” tremors in the process.

The fault line report goes on to state that the Pacific Northwest region is now 72 years “overdue” for a killer earthquake. Scientists are predicting that the next time the Cascadia subduction zone wreaks havoc, a magnitude-8.0 to 9.2 earthquake will occur.

If an earthquake of such a magnitude hits, some feel it would prompt the “worst natural disaster” in North American history. The earthquake in Japan, in 2011, was magnitude-9.0 and killed more than 15,000 people.

FEMA is reportedly developing a “response plan” to address the aftermath of such a monstrous earthquake.

An excerpt from the FEMA earthquake response plan, as noted in the New Yorker, follows.

“FEMA projects that nearly thirteen thousand people will die in the Cascadia earthquake and tsunami. Another twenty-seven thousand will be injured, and the agency expects that it will need to provide shelter for a million displaced people, and food and water for another two and a half million.”

The FEMA scenario also states that the death toll would significantly increase if the Cascadia fault line earthquake occurred during warm weather months, when citizens and visitors were outdoors and at beaches in the water. A killer quake of such a magnitude could spark a tsunami, which would reportedly could strike from Sacramento to Canada. Densely populated areas, such as Portland and Seattle, would be in the path of destruction.

Earthquake readiness is not at a level which fosters reassurance, according to some scientists and FEMA officials. Buildings in the Pacific Northwest that have not been properly retrofitted to withstand earthquakes are a growing concern by emergency management experts. What’s more, the Pacific Northwest is not earthquake ready. A lack of escape plans and emergency warning systems have also been noted as a mounting problem for response team planners.

“Our operating assumption is that everything west of Interstate 5 will be toast,” FEMA Region X Director Kenneth Murphy, said. Region X covers the Oregon, Washington, Idaho, and Alaska regions.

What do you think will happen if the Cascadia subduction zone or the San Andreas fault cause a massive earthquake in the near future?

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