Spokane vs Tri Cities vs Clarkston-Lewiston metro areas for retirement

[pnwguy2]

Again, these are rare events. Doesn’t mean they won’t happen but the odds are slim. The bigger threat the danger of a mega thrust earthquake that is now overdue. Might not happen in any of our lifetimes but could happen tomorrow.

[Wile E. Coyote]

The earthquake is no more due than the volcanic eruptions. I get tired of going through the data set with people (you can look it up). They are "averaging" numbers that range from approximately 200 years to 700 years. It could be tomorrow or it could be in 350 years.

[pnwguy2]

But earthquakes happen more often than volcanic eruptions. If applied to magnitude you may have a point, but atleast volcanoes give off some warning.

[Wile E. Coyote]

9.0 earthquakes are not a common event in the US

[pnwguy2]

Originally Posted by Wile E. Coyote

9.0 earthquakes are not a common event in the US

Agreed. However, as you point out they do occur every 300 to 500 years. We are in that window. My intent is not to scare, but prepare.

[Wile E. Coyote]

Per the newspaper Oregon is "overdo" for "the big one." But, if you look at the data (and know math you will realize it is the insurance companies that ensured those articles were published in order to raise insurance rates).

We are not overdo for the big one in Oregon. They are in California (but, their big one is not 9.0). Their big one is anything 7.0 and above (on the San Andreas).

If you have taken geology 101 the subduction zone is connected to the volcanoes (it's a system).

Yes, we will have earthquake swarms potentially for weeks (before, say, Mt. Hood just blows up). But, that's not long enough to ready your house, list it and sell it. You won't understand what is happening right away.

I say stay within 75 miles of the Cascade Range volcanoes. People near Mt. Ranier will be so hoxed over if that blows (with the lava flows).

We are not safe from wildfire (except in parts of Eastern OR and WA (where they are not free from grassland fires)). We have a new normal now.

Considering you want your retirement home to be your last home and a lot of people in retirement would not have the resources to reside some other place than there home for months for the environmental clean up and rebuilding (my insurance agent said that most people never rebuild).

[Wile E. Coyote]

No, 210 to 910 years. So, explain how they are so fixated on 300-350? So, prior to 1700 the last one was 780 years prior. So, in reality it is somewhere between "overdo" and 590 years. Personally, I don't think it's worth worrying about. Mt. Hood is overdo to blow up and we know about Mt. St. Helens (the entire range are active volcanoes).

Great earthquakes
estimated year interval
2005 source[24] 2003 source[25] (years)
about 9 pm, January 26, 1700 (NS) 780
780–1190 CE 880–960 CE 210
690–730 CE 550–750 CE 330
350–420 CE 250–320 CE 910
660-440 BCE 610–450 BCE 400
980–890 BCE 910–780 BCE 250
1440–1340 BCE 1150–1220 BCE unknown
The last known great earthquake in the northwest was the 1700 Cascadia earthquake. Geological evidence indicates that great earthquakes (> magnitude 8.0) may have occurred

[Wile E. Coyote]

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/09/s...onitoring.html

[pnwguy2]

Originally Posted by Wile E. Coyote

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/09/s...onitoring.html

pay site.

Yes 1700. But I think the science is debatable. I have heard 300-500 years for a mega thrust earthquake. That doesn't mean it won't happen tomorrow, but as I said, may not occur well after we are all dead.

Trying to predict this is somewhat impossible, but generally we are in the window. But that is only if geology acts similarly to previous centuries, and that is something we indeed can't count on.

On a side note, anyone notice that LA/Southern California has been strangely free of major quakes for almost 20 years? I don't wish them ill will, but when talking about overdue, I would say this is the region. There was a 6+ in Antelope Valley this year, but other than that, not much activity.

[Wile E. Coyote]

Well, I'm not talking about "what I heard." I am looking at the data for myself. And, it's simply not worth worrying about since the time span is somewhere between 210 and 910 years (anywhere between tomorrow and 590 years). You can believe the hype if you want. We have to prepare to evacuate anyways due to the new continual threat of wildfires (so, it doesn't change anything).

That article talks about how (in 2019) most of the major US volcanoes (the Cascadia range) were not being monitored not in the budget).

If you are relocating to retire you ought to take into consideration all the environmental risks in your decision making (and then pick your poison).

The Kennewick area should be a low risk place to ride out climate change. The same thing that makes Western Washington beautiful is what makes it dangerous. I don't think I would be happy retired in Kennewick if my main friends are in Western Oregon.