A new study from geologists at the Washington State Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has found that the impact of a magnitude 7.5 earthquake on the Seattle Fault could cause tsunami waves as high as 42 feet tall.
According to the department’s simulation, those waves would reach the greater Seattle area within just three minutes, extending inland as far as Lumen Field and T-Mobile Park.
In addition, the waves would hit the shoreline during that timeframe in many places on the eastern side of Bainbridge Island, Elliott Bay and Alki Point.
The Seattle Fault, which runs east to west, crosses downtown Seattle and the Puget Sound. The fault line has produced several earthquakes throughout the region, although the most recent quake occurred about 1,100 years ago, the state agency said.
When announcing the study results, officials stressed that the chance of the models coming true during current residents’ lifetimes is low, but they argued residents should still be aware of how to respond given the dramatic fallout of such a disaster.
“Most often, when we think of tsunamis, we think of our outer coast and communities along the Pacific Ocean,” said Washington Commissioner of Public Lands Hilary Franz.
The research considered a worst-case, low-likelihood scenario triggered by a 7.5 magnitude quake. In this situation, tsunami waves would first hit in northern Elliott Bay, which is the body of water offshore of downtown Seattle; West Seattle’s Alki Point; and the eastern shoreline of Bainbridge Island. The waves could reach Olympia, the southern-most reach of Puget Sound, within an hour and extend north to Canada.
The large waves and strong currents generated by a quake could last for three hours. The tsunami would also cause extensive shoreline flooding and push flooding up rivers that empty into the sound.
In one simulation of a 7.5-magnitude earthquake, the group’s models show tsunami waves could be as high as 42 feet at the Seattle Great Wheel, which is located in the downtown area of the city along the shoreline.
“We will continue to ensure our Office of Emergency Management — and all our departments — are best equipped to respond to emergencies and natural disasters, while we also strengthen our infrastructure and build a resilient city now and for the future,” said Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell.
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