Earthquakes question?

[Mic101]

FYI: a follow-up to my previous reply. I think the Cascadia Subduction Zone (an area of clustered seismic activity, which includes the Cascadia Fault) runs alongside the Washington coast from Canada on down to the San Andreas Fault in California. The Cascadia Fault, I think, lies about fifty miles off the coast and may likely extend deep beneath the Olympic Mountains (where I live). When it rips, I honestly do not think that I will experience a 10.0 big bang. Rather, I will most likely feel a long, maybe five to ten minute, 6.0 to 8.0 rumble.

When that happens, I will most likely have about ten minutes to get my rear end from downtown PA up the mountain scatter-fast. Why? Because the rip will create an east-bound tsunami that will fly through the Strait of Juan de Fuca and inundate my beloved town. The rip will also create a west-bound tsunami that will first hit Japan, then bounce off to pound us with a double whammy. That is why I live on the mountain.

But my concern is not about the earthquake or the tsunami. It's about the days that follow: when power and communications will likely disintegrate, toxins take over, chaos erupts, and people start killing each other for food and water. And that is why I always keep close at hand my super-lightweight backpack (less than 20 lbs. total) with my most essential needs that will help keep me afloat (ha ha, pun intended) while I get the hell out of Dodge. Mic

[rainforest338]

Something Mic101 alluded to is the days that follow. The Olympic Peninsula has bridges all over, many of which were built a long time ago. The western end frequently has landslides that take out the road for a few days (Neah Bay/Forks). If a big quake does hit it isn't unresonable to think that it could take a few weeks to get vehicle support to the area. Probably get emergency air to Forks and ships could get into Port Angeles.

[mwruckman]

Your gold standard for earthquake and tsunami hazard is the subduction thrust earthquakes that happen on the Cascadia subduction fault that lies off the coast of Oregon, Washington and British Columbia. They can be as large as anything that occirs anywhere around the Pacific Ocean! The last one on the Cascadian Fault occured on the evening of January 29th at about 2 am in 1701. Whites were not here to experience or record it but the Japanese keep excellent records and a large orphan tsunami (tsunami that occurs without an earthquake being felt in Japan) hit Japan about 6 hours later and modern tsunami modeling backs up te statement I made about where and when the earthquake happened.The magnitude of the quake was at least 9.0 which can trigger tsunamis of at least 10 to 15 meters or 30-45 feet in height. A tsunami created by such a quake would reach the coast where you are in about 15 minutes and because the ocean sloshes the quake may generate a sucession of tsunami waves for several hours after the quake . Also, after shocks may generate additional tsunamis for days or weeks afterwards. Evidence of the 1701 quake and tsunami are found up and down the coast and inland in the Pacific NW (A lot of landslides were triggered by this quake one partially blocked the Columbia river at where Bonneville Dam now exists). The studies of this event also find a sucession of similar earthquakes and tsunamis going back thousands of years. They seem o occur every 300-500 years or so, since the last happened in 1701 the Pacific NW may be due for such a quake in the near future. Things like this souldn't scare the residents of the Pacific NW but they should learn and understaand what has happened in the past and take prudent action like knowing where the tsunami hazard zones are which the OP is doing. Now just how stable is that high bluff you are on?

[Mic101]

Looks like mwruckman and company are the experts. I'm just a regular guy who loves his mountain and plans to weather whatever disasters may come. I have absolutely no desire to "scare" people (except maybe Californians, ha ha ha). So I take back all I have said. Best wishes to you all. Mic.

[annemurray911]

Please take the risk of a major disaster here on the Peninusla seriously. We are close to the Cascadia Subduction Zone and a M9 earthquake is already overdue, the last one in January 1701. It could happen today or maybe in 50 years but be prepared. Teach your children what to do in the event if an earthquake and find out where the tsunami escape routes are if you live on the coast. Get an emergency kit ready now!