Talking "The Big One" again. (Seattle, Issaquah: 2015, earthquake)

[Traxan]

Big article in The New Yorker.

The Earthquake That Will Devastate Seattle - The New Yorker

There is a backstop—the craton, that ancient unbudgeable mass at the center of the continent—and, sooner or later, North America will rebound like a spring. If, on that occasion, only the southern part of the Cascadia subduction zone gives way—your first two fingers, say—the magnitude of the resulting quake will be somewhere between 8.0 and 8.6. That’s the big one. If the entire zone gives way at once, an event that seismologists call a full-margin rupture, the magnitude will be somewhere between 8.7 and 9.2. That’s the very big one.

Local FEMA director's assessment if that happens: “Our operating assumption is that everything west of Interstate 5 will be toast.”

And that's not even taking the crumbling seawall into account.

I've wanted to move to Issaquah for a long time. Something about the city appeals to me. I've joked that when the big one hits I'll have beachfront property. From the description in the article, even that area won't be safe.

[Tac-Sea]

So why aren't Bill Gates, Jeff Bezos and Paul Allen moving? In fact, they seem to be investing heavily into the SLU area.

I've considered moving to Florida, but there are sink holes there, so many that it is the SH capitol of the world. Seems like there are issues everywhere...

[Traxan]

I don't know, maybe they are too busy working to read stuff like this. Maybe they planted their flag and will live and die here. But from that story description, Amazon will be utterly destroyed by a big one.

[VirtualErik]

subduction zone quakes are said to be the worse as it amplifies the effect of the quake even more so. When that fault snaps, there's no denying the damage and loss of life that will happen from it, however it could happen 100 years from now, or in 5min. we just don't know, so myself, still love Seattle enough to move there in Sept. Sure the fear of the quake hitting while i'm living there will keep me on my toes, however we all gotta go sometime, and there really isn't anywhere truly safe from natural disaster in the world.

[sean98125]

Amazon will offshore it's main offices without having to move them.

[Traxan]

Whoops just saw another thread. mods, please lock/remove this one. thanks