Seattle at Risk of Tsunami from Fault That Remained Silent for 1,100 Years

Washington State authorities recently warned coastal cities to prepare for a massive tsunami event that could happen anytime soon. The attention was caused by natural anomalies found in the state's geological features.

According to scientists, the major factor that could pull out this gigantic wave is the Seattle Fault, a crack that has remained quiet for approximately 1,100 years since the last earthquake in the state.

Magnitude 7.5 Earthquake from Seattle Fault

The new study reveals that a 7.5-magnitude earthquake from the Seattle Fault caused a catastrophic tsunami in just a few minutes. The damage it could inflict was estimated to hit most areas in and near the city.

The Washington State Department of Natural Resources (DNR) presented the report. Based on their research, the agency said on Thursday that people in Seattle should become prepared for an impending disaster despite the last earthquake caused by the Seattle Fault that transpired 1,100 years ago.

Maximilian Dixon, a program supervisor for outreach and hazards at Washington DNR Emergency Management Division, explained in a King 5 report that the chances of the event occurring in our lifetime are lower than what most people expect, but the citizens of Seattle must prepare today.

Because of the structure of the fault, an earthquake could lead to the possibility of a tsunami, and people should evacuate to the closest higher grounds and to the quickest way to these areas as soon as the ground shaking stopped, Dixon continued.

Risk of 40-Feet Tsunami in Just Three Minutes

According to the measurements collected by the agency, the 40-feet tsunami waves could reach the coastal areas in just three minutes. One of the localities prone to the hit is the eastern side of Bainbridge Island, right between Alki Point and Elliott Bay.

Predictions show that a Seattle Fault earthquake could produce a tsunami wave that stretches 20 feet or 6 meters across the city's shoreline. DNR added that these waves could infiltrate 3 miles or nearly 5 kilometers from the port of Tacoma.

The tsunami floods would be greater in areas surrounding the Seattle Fault, and this could be induced by the increase of current throughout the Salish Sea between Olympia and Blaine.

The model utilized for the study is categorized as a "very large, low-probability" magnitude 7.5 earthquake based on the Seattle Fault, which lies beneath the east to the western side of Puget Sound and downtown Seattle.

Public Lands Commissioner Hilary Franze said that tsunamis are commonly associated with the Pacific Ocean, but there is also a long history of earthquakes recorded underneath the geological formation of Puget Sound.

Despite the frequency of earthquakes from the Seattle Fault being low, the effects it could bring are larger than we expect. The communities should consider this information in preparing and responding to such a catastrophe.

Seattle Mayor Brice Harrell said that the city's Office of Emergency Management and other departments are equipped to respond to natural disasters and emergencies like the risks from the particular fault.

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