So, like, this new study came out saying that a massive earthquake off the coast of California, Oregon, and Washington could make some areas sink by more than 6 feet. That’s a whole lot, right? Imagine waking up one day and finding out your house is now underwater. Scary stuff. The study, published in some fancy journal, looked at what would happen if the Cascadia subduction zone decided to throw a tantrum. This zone goes from Northern California all the way up to Canada’s Vancouver Island. If the worst-case scenario happens, a huge chunk of land would be at risk of flooding, like 116 square miles, which is like 2½ times the size of San Francisco. Crazy, right?
The experts are saying that this earthquake could mess things up big time. It could double the flooding risk for people, buildings, and roads. And let’s not forget about the poor infrastructure that’s gonna get messed up. Roads and bridges will be flooded more often or even permanently underwater. It’s gonna be a whole mess, let me tell you. The study warned that the earthquake could totally change the coastlines and cause long-lasting damage to communities, buildings, and nature. None of that gradual sea-level rise stuff from climate change. Nope, this would happen in minutes, no time to prepare.
So, apparently, the last big earthquake in the Cascadia zone was back in 1700, a whopping magnitude 9 beast. Villages sank, people had to run for their lives, you know, the usual disaster movie stuff. And guess what? Scientists are saying the next big one could make the land sink by 1.6 to 6.6 feet, just like in 1700. Right now, there are about 8,000 people living in flood-prone areas along the coast. But if the earthquake hits hard, that number could shoot up to more than 22,000. That’s a lot of people in danger, don’t you think?
And it’s not just the people, buildings, and roads at risk. Over 36,000 structures could be threatened by flooding after the earthquake. That’s a big jump from the current 13,000 structures. And let’s not forget about the roads, over 777 miles could be underwater, triple the current at-risk total. FEMA calls these areas high-risk flood plains, places that flood at least 1% each year. That’s pretty risky, if you ask me. People living there gotta buy flood insurance if they wanna keep their homes safe.
The study also talked about how the land has been sinking and rising for thousands of years because of earthquakes. It’s not just about rising sea levels from climate change. These earthquakes are serious business. They can make the sea level rise suddenly, like more than 3 feet in a blink of an eye. So, yeah, it’s not just about tsunamis and shaking during an earthquake. The land sinking is gonna be a problem for years to come.
Authorities better start thinking about what to do after the big one hits. Some roads are already flooding during high tides, imagine what’ll happen after the earthquake. And they should probably avoid building important stuff like schools and fire stations in flood-prone areas. Not a good idea, if you ask me. The study pointed out some areas at high risk of sinking after the earthquake, places like Eureka and Arcata in California, Waldport and Bayshore in Oregon, and Long Beach and Ocean Park in Washington. So, yeah, lots of places to keep an eye on.
So, like, this earthquake thing is serious business, right? The study is saying we can’t just focus on rising sea levels from climate change. Earthquakes are a big deal too. They can mess up communities, destroy buildings, and force people to move. Just look at what happened in Japan and Indonesia after those big earthquakes. We gotta be ready for when the big one hits the Cascadia zone. It’s gonna be a wild ride, that’s for sure.
