Seattle Earthquake Piece in the New Yorker (Pacific: how much, university)

[arleigh]

Good article thanks ,
It reminded me to add this emphasis ,
Most new construction require securing the water heater ,I can tell you how important this is .
1 it is your last source of water
2.if it's gas powered and it wabbles or walks out of the closet and the gas line breaks and you've got a fire.
The fire department may not be able to be there at all.
We encountered several that actually pushed the closet door open and it was about to put a strain on the gas line.
I had a gut feeling it was going to be bad especially after shocks so I sent my son to the neighbors and empty homes shutting off gas we only missed one home in the trailer park that caught fire and we had to call it in with Ham radio because the phone system was down .
The local hams were already on board trained and practiced and had their members placed in strategic locations , hospital , fire department and sheriffs department, including public locations for civilians to contact these services, and family off the hill, making the difference.
People that are trained and identified as a part of a group made a big difference both in communications and getting things done as a community .It was a very impressive display of cooperation.
Fact is though, it takes individuals like you all, to be involved and not become mere victims of an event.
Get connected , trained ,practiced , personally prepared and prepared to act the moment disaster strikes ,
I guarantee you this , if you are connected and involved under regular training and participating currently, when disaster strikes and if you are incapacitated , you have a large group of friends that will give you preference in an event.
But if you've done nothing, don't expect anything, your just another, of the number of nameless injured sheep.
I have worked for companies that ,though you may be a rescuer ,do not pay you off the clock for your efforts , other companies do pay you, if you are participating during a disaster.

[TheLonelyStoner]

I am confused about where they are getting their numbers from. They say 13,000 dead, but don't more than that work in the Columbia tower alone???? If 75% of the buildings go down, there would be millions dead. It would be like the 9-11 attacks on 3/4 of the buildings downtown.

[i_love_autumn]

Originally Posted by TheLonelyStoner

I am confused about where they are getting their numbers from. They say 13,000 dead, but don't more than that work in the Columbia tower alone???? If 75% of the buildings go down, there would be millions dead. It would be like the 9-11 attacks on 3/4 of the buildings downtown.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

[Bluefox]

Originally Posted by TheLonelyStoner

I am confused about where they are getting their numbers from. They say 13,000 dead, but don't more than that work in the Columbia tower alone???? If 75% of the buildings go down, there would be millions dead. It would be like the 9-11 attacks on 3/4 of the buildings downtown.

I don't get the 75% number. Seattle is too far from the subduction zone to be utterly or even substantially destroyed and most of the skyscrapers will have minimal damage. The buildings most at risk are older, smaller buildings. I understood the 13,000 number to be mostly casualties in the coastal areas from the tsunami, particularly those in the inundation zones. I loved the eloquence of the article but it is a bit exaggerated, though it should really light a fire under people in earthquake prone areas to be prepared and to have a plan. Especially those who have families. People don't think about it until after it happens, but what if cell service is lost? If you don't have an agreed upon meeting place and are separated, it could be a long time separated from your family. That's just one example.

[Traxan]

In some ways, Hollywood has done Seattle a disservice. It has obsessed with monster quakes in LA when the San Andreas Fault can't produce a quake as big as the one in "San Andreas" and other films, and it took focus off of where the real threat lies.

Also, I suspect the 13k figure comes from other deaths than tsunami or collapsing high rises. Chances are power will be out for weeks. People in ICUs and on machines will die if they cannot be evaced to Spokane or some other bigger city away from the coast.

[i_love_autumn]

Originally Posted by mrman78

Fair points. Earthquakes are definitely more devastating with not much warning.

However, having lived in Texas 12 years myself and been through a few hurricanes, two tornadoes and countless severe storms with hail, wind and flooding, I just had enough of the constant bombardment every year. For all we know, this earthquake may not even happen in our lifetimes. It's definitely good to be as prepared as we can for it though, but I'm certainly not going to worry myself about it more than I have to. There's not much we can really DO about its timing. Having to be stressed out every year in Texas was a whole other matter. Overall, your chances of being injured or killed in a natural disaster are much lower here than in Texas. Even if the "big one" happened, it is just one event - yes a devastating one, but still a single event. So I am definitely the opposite and will take the risk here any day, especially as it might not even happen in my lifetime.

You do know that the scientists are saying this megaquake is going to happen 'within' the next 50 years, don't you?
That means it could be today, or at the longest.... 50 years from now.

[Garfunkle524]

Originally Posted by i_love_autumn

You do know that the scientists are saying this megaquake is going to happen 'within' the next 50 years, don't you?
That means it could be today, or at the longest.... 50 years from now.

This is not what they are saying at all. Did you even read the grossly exaggerated article?

[i_love_autumn]

Originally Posted by Garfunkle524

This is not what they are saying at all. Did you even read the grossly exaggerated article?

No, but that is what a previous article I read said,and absolutely is stated in the book.

Odds are about 1-in-3 that mega-earthquake will hit Pacific Northwest in next 50 years, scientists say

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases...0524121250.htm

Fault System Off West Coast Poses Greater Mega Quake Risk Than San Andreas
April 2, 2014 12:53 PM

Fault System Off West Coast Poses Greater Mega Quake Risk Than San Andreas « CBS San Francisco

Mega Tsunami To Hit Northwest? Experts Report Mega-Quake Is Overdue; How Do We Prepare?

By Philip Ross on March 15, 2013

Researchers calculated the odds that a major undersea earthquake will occur in the next 50 years to range from seven to 15 percent for a great earthquake affecting the entire Pacific Northwest and roughly 37 percent for a very large quake affecting southern Oregon and northern California.

Mega Tsunami To Hit Northwest? Experts Report Mega-Quake Is Overdue; How Do We Prepare? - International Science Times

[fnh]

Here is a follow up article to the New Yorker piece:

How to Stay Safe When the Big One Comes - The New Yorker

[homesinseattle]

Been putting off the work for awhile foolishly but scheduled my charming historic home for retrofitting today, $10,000. They were booked until January, I somehow sweet talked October, make him promise the earthquake wouldn't come until after work is done. Yes, there are some needlessly alarmist parts of this article but the threat is very real.