After a Cascadia megathrust earthquake shakes Washington, a tsunami will flood coastal towns and cities.
This complex combination of geologic hazards is what thousands of emergency responders and community leaders from California to British Columbia are preparing for this week. Called “Cascadia Rising,” the exercise will provide those responders scenarios of an event on the 600-mile-long subduction fault that runs just a few miles off the Pacific coast.
You can help lessen their load by knowing in advance where you would go when a megaquake strikes. DNR can help.
If and when the fault lets loose another megathrust earthquake, a tsunami surge is expected to slam the coast with 15 to 30 minutes. The good news is some 80 percent of us could escape the waves; even more if you simply walk quicker.
By consulting DNR’s Geologic Information Portal, you can identify primary escape routes and even backup routes if your initial getaway is blocked.
Using our interactive maps, you can create, save and print custom maps, find more information about map features, and download map data for use in a geographic information system (GIS). In addition to a variety of geoscience layers that can be turned on and off, each interactive map has many base layers to choose from, so you can customize your map in any number of ways.
DNR works every day to ensure communities are tsunami-safe. DNR’s Geology and Earth Resources Division, the state’s official geologic survey, is helping Washington communities identify how they are vulnerable to tsunamis to create innovative strategies for dealing with that threat.
We’ve mapped model tsunamis to show where waves would likely strike after a Cascadia quake, identified evacuation routes, and helped communities without the high ground that could provide refuge to create higher ground of their own.
Find out what damage your community might face in a Cascadia or other earthquake event, and turn to DNR’s emergency preparedness page for a host of tips and resources that will help you be prepared, not scared.
EAR TO THE GROUND WITH DNR & COMMISSIONER FRANZ 