quakes & TSUNAMIS

Earthquakes are a fact of life in the Pacific Northwest. Constantly evolving science helps us more clearly understand the risk, but one fact that won’t change is this: big quakes have happened here before, and they will again. Getting prepared doesn't need to be difficult.

As in every nearly disaster the key is to have the ability to be self-sufficient for at least 14 days. Once you’re ready for a two weeks, aim for a month. Earthquakes are the biggest preparedness challenge the islands face. Building a culture of preparedness is critical. It doesn’t need to overwhelm us, but we do need to spend a bit of time each year thinking about how our homes, workplaces, and communities would be impacted by a major quake and the possible resulting tsunami - and what we need to be doing now to prepare.

What are the most important things to know?

  • Drop, Cover, and Hold.

  • The islands are at risk from two types of quakes: the well known Cascadia 9.0 scenario, and a smaller, but perhaps more destructive event from the nearby Devil’s Mountain Fault.

  • Buildings built on or near bedrock and newer wooden houses tend to survive earthquakes reasonably well. We will see plenty of building damage, but we’re in better shape than most cities or places built near rivers.

  • Our biggest concern may be the long term loss of utility and transport connections in the islands and beyond. It may be months until water, power, internet, access to healthcare, regular fuel and food deliveries, and other key necessities are back to anything close to normal.

  • Both local quake scenarios have the potential to cause tsunamis. The Cascadia quake scenario is much better understood at this point. Risk to the islands is real, but is confined to specific vulnerable locations. Take a look at these tusnami maps or this animated tsunami model for more info.

  • Our built in warning system for all tsunamis is that we’ve just felt an enormous earthquake. That lets us know that if we’re on the shore or in a high risk tsunami zone, we calmly turn and walk briskly away from the water and towards high ground. High ground is never far away in the islands.

  • We do not worry about significant tusnami impacts in the islands from earthquakes we can’t feel.

To really dig into the science of our risk and better understand what the impacts might be, please take a look at our Frequently Asked Questions below. They’re full of vital information.

Want to know what to do when a quake hits? See what the students at the Shaw Island School have to recommend in this short 2018 award-winning video!