Can’t imagine what it would be like if a tsunami hit the Washington coast? This video can help
It’s been 320 years since the last magnitude 9.0 earthquake caused a tsunami along the Washington coast. “It’s a question of when, not if, the next one will hit,” said Commissioner of Public Lands Hilary Franz in a statement.
That’s why the Washington state Department of Natural Resources has created a video model to show what an earthquake and tsunami hitting the Washington coast would look like. The videos show Cascadia tsunami wave simulations for the southwest Washington coast, with detailed, localized impacts shown for Grays Harbor and the Long Beach Peninsula.
The reason for these simulations is to give emergency planners and communities the tools to properly prepare for this potentially catastrophic event.
“These videos are designed to give the communities that would be most impacted by tsunamis a visualization of what areas are likely to face the most damage so they can make sure their residents, businesses and institutions are secure and resilient,” Franz said in the statement.
These massive subduction zone earthquakes around the Cascadia region tend to occur every 300 to 600 years, so the area may be due for one. The earthquake that took place in 1700 left sand deposits and drowned forests, which can still be seen in places like the Copalis Ghost Forest in Grays Harbor County, according to DNR.
The video simulations add to the suite of tsunami preparation materials developed by DNR geologists. More detailed maps of tsunami hazards, along with evacuation maps, preparation tips and additional information about these simulations are available online at https://www.dnr.wa.gov/tsunami.
This story was originally published September 11, 2020 at 5:45 AM.
