News about an earthquake hitting the Pacific Northwest so powerful that it “will destroy a sizable portion of the coastal Northwest,” according to a doomsday report that is to be published in the July 20 edition of The New Yorker (it’s already posted online). In it, the author describes that the Cascadia subduction zone, which runs 700 miles from Mendocino, Calif. on north to Vancouver Island in British Columbia, has the potential and reputation for producing devastating tremors throughout the region. When the next big one hits along this fault line, everything west of Interstate 5, including Seattle, Tacoma, Portland, Eugene, Salem, Olympia, Wash., home to 7 million people, not only could, but will endure the worst natural disaster in North American history.
This revelation has people all over Oregon and Washington shaken up. What would happen to the Northwest as we know it? Are we even remotely prepared? It got us thinking about other natural disasters in the state that wreaked widespread havoc. Here are a few from history.
North American snowstorms of 2008 This series of snowstorms dumped record-breaking amounts of the stuff across the U.S. and Canada, including in Portland, which was slammed with the most December snowfall in 40 years. The city was paralyzed. Tri-Met ceased bus service. Hundreds of flights in and out of PDX were cancelled and the city spent more than $2.1 million in removal services. Even trash pickup was canceled for more than two weeks.
The Great Coastal Gale, 2007
“Aerial view of the flood-stricken town of Vernonia, Oregon, Dec. 4, 2007” by Tech. Sgt. Nick Choy, U.S. Air Force - http://www.dodmedia.osd.mil/DVIC_View/Still_Details.cfm?SDAN=071204-F-1639C-113&JPGPath=/JCCC/Still/2007/Air_Force/071204-F-1639C-113.JPG. Licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons Consisting of a series of three storms that hit the Pacific, the Great Coastal Gale rocked Oregon, Washington, and British Columbia for four days in December 2007. The region was slammed by hurricane-like gusts of wind that raged as high as 137 mph. Heavy rains caused widespread flooding and the storm was blamed for 18 deaths.
- Bridge of the Gods
Known in Native American legend as the Bridge of the Gods, this natural dam was created by a major landslide that blocked the Columbia River. Eventually the bridge was breached and washed away.
- Cascadia Subduction Quake, 1700
Licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons The Cascadia subduction was the cause for a 1700 earthquake said to have had an estimated 8.7-9.2 magnitude. The force involved the Juan de Fuca Plate under the Pacific Ocean near Vancouver Island on down to northern California.
- Willamette Valley Flood, 1996
“Flood in Portland Feb 1996 - area NW of Steel Bridge” by Steve Morgan. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons This disaster, part of a series of flooding that struck Oregon, Washington, Idaho, and California, caused the most monetary damage and fatalities in the 1990s.
- Hanukkah Eve windstorm, 2006
Licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons High winds resulted in widespread damage in Oregon during this 2008 windstorm along the coast. Downed trees ripped through homes and power lines. Some 350,000 customers lost power and residents turned to emergency shelters when they were displaced from their homes.
In the scheme of things, some of these events were nowhere near as devastating as the super quake predicted in The New Yorker piece, but it makes you think that if a blizzard or windstorm can cause that much disruption, imagine what this mega tremor could do.
“TsunamiDebrisWatch” by Amateria1121 - Own work. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Though this earthquake happened in the other hemisphere, it had a huge impact all along the west coast. An 8-foot-high tsunami hit the coast, causing some $10 million in damage to docks and harbors. In Curry County, the dockspace at Brookings harbor was destroyed, causing $7 million in damage. Loads of debris also traveled across the Pacific and made its way to Oregon seashores.
Wikipedia
Otherwise known as the “Spring Break Quake,” the 5.6 magnitude tremor was the strongest in Oregon since the 1981 Elk Lake and Goat Rocks earthquakes.
This public housing development in Multnomah County was widely destroyed in a massive flood that hit in 1948.
“Aerial view of the flood-stricken town of Vernonia, Oregon, Dec. 4, 2007” by Tech. Sgt. Nick Choy, U.S. Air Force - http://www.dodmedia.osd.mil/DVIC_View/Still_Details.cfm?SDAN=071204-F-1639C-113&JPGPath=/JCCC/Still/2007/Air_Force/071204-F-1639C-113.JPG. Licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons
Consisting of a series of three storms that hit the Pacific, the Great Coastal Gale rocked Oregon, Washington, and British Columbia for four days in December 2007. The region was slammed by hurricane-like gusts of wind that raged as high as 137 mph. Heavy rains caused widespread flooding and the storm was blamed for 18 deaths.
Known in Native American legend as the Bridge of the Gods, this natural dam was created by a major landslide that blocked the Columbia River. Eventually the bridge was breached and washed away.
Licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons
The Cascadia subduction was the cause for a 1700 earthquake said to have had an estimated 8.7-9.2 magnitude. The force involved the Juan de Fuca Plate under the Pacific Ocean near Vancouver Island on down to northern California.
“Flood in Portland Feb 1996 - area NW of Steel Bridge” by Steve Morgan. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons
This disaster, part of a series of flooding that struck Oregon, Washington, Idaho, and California, caused the most monetary damage and fatalities in the 1990s.
High winds resulted in widespread damage in Oregon during this 2008 windstorm along the coast. Downed trees ripped through homes and power lines. Some 350,000 customers lost power and residents turned to emergency shelters when they were displaced from their homes.
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