Magnitude 7.5 Quake Could Trigger 42-Foot Tall Tsunami Wave to Engulf Seattle, Simulation Reveals
© AP Photo / Ted S. Warren
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The Puget Sound Lowland and Seattle are divided by a zone with several shallow east-west thrust faults. the last major earthquake occurred in the region over 1,100 years ago, but to this day, legends about it are preserved in the oral folklore of the indigenous people of America.
The effects of a possible 7.5-magnitude earthquake on the Seattle Fault were recently depicted in a simulation produced by the Washington State Department of Natural Resources (DNR), giving locals a peek into the disastrous situation that could unfold.
According to the agency's statement, tsunami waves will travel inland to Lumen Field and T-Mobile Park and may reach heights of up to 42 feet (almost 13 meters) at the Seattle Great Wheel.
In some areas of the Port of Tacoma, waves can travel up to three miles (4.8 kilometers) inland.
According to a news release, the report was created by geologists working for the DNR's Washington Geological Survey branch. According to research, the Seattle area would be reached by 40-foot-tall (12 m) tsunami waves in less than 3 minutes in the event of a magnitude 7.5 earthquake on the Seattle Fault.
"Tsunami inundation and strong currents may continue for more than 3 hours from the start of the earthquake," the statement added. "The model does not account for tide stages or local tsunamis triggered by earthquake-induced landslides."
Ask and you shall receive! Here’s a simulation that includes a broader picture of Puget Sound. pic.twitter.com/iUs0C2FGFl
— Washington State Dept. of Natural Resources (@waDNR) July 7, 2022
“Although the chances of this happening in our lifetime is low, it's important for families to get prepared now,” Maximilian Dixon, the hazards and outreach program supervisor for the Washington Emergency Management Division, is quoted as saying. “The ground shaking will be your warning that a tsunami may be on the way. Make sure you know where the closest high ground is and the quickest route to get there. Get signed up for tsunami and local alerts.”
According to the study, the Seattle area would experience shoreline flooding and alterations as a result of a strong earthquake.
According to the news release, the study was "conducted to help local and state emergency managers and planners develop and refine response and preparedness plans for a tsunami in the middle of Washington's largest population center and economic hub."
"If you feel an earthquake drop, cover, and hold on, then evacuate to high ground and get as far inland as you can as quickly as possible," the agency advised.
