There's been a lot of news about the Cascadia Subduction Zone and the overdue 9.0+ earthquake (aka the "Big One") in the Pacific Northwest which could potentially devastate British Columbia, Washington, Oregon, and Northern California.
The bad news is that it's true — the Cascadia fault will produce a very large earthquake and most likely hit Southern Oregon. The GOOD news is that reports of "everything west of I-5 will be Toast" is an inaccurate threat, according to most experts.
Regardless, experts agree that Oregonians (and others in the Pacific Northwest region) should start preparing for the "really big one." According to an article published on July 16, 2015, in The Oregonian (OregonLive.com article written by Richard Read), Oregon State University geology and geophysics professor and eartquake/tsunami expert Chris Goldfinger states that "A Cascadia subduction zone earthquake will cause widespread damage and launch a deadly tsunami."
Additional Resource Info
- Pacfic Northwest Seismic Network (PNSN.org)
- Cascadia Region Earthquake Workgroup (CREW.org)
- USGS Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center (USGS Coastal and Marine Geology Program - Local Tsunamis in the Pacific Northwest)
- Be Prepared For, Not Scared Of 'The Really Big One' - John Rosman, OPB, July 17 2015
- Earthquake experts on 'The Really Big One': Here's what will actually happen in Seattle - James Risley, GeekWire, July 14 2015
- Chris Goldfinger, Professor Emeritus, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon