Tsunamis: How Oregon Can Better Prepare for Cascadia Essay

After attending Seaside School District schools that sat inside the tsunami zone my entire life I expected to feel a sense of relief attending school elsewhere, but that is far from the case. Everyday when I went school the thought of the big one was constantly looming in the back of my mind. Now 3,000 miles removed from the Oregon coast I find myself more concerned than ever before about the safety of the children attending Seaside Schools. I always thought that I had a good understanding of the danger our community and schools were in, but I really had no clue until I started to extensively research the cascadia subduction zone during my senior year at Seaside High. What I learned from leading geologists and various other experts was that the risks I had been told our community faced were not exaggerated as I had suspected, but instead understated. The fact of the matter is that Seaside schools will not survive the magnitude of a Cascadia subduction earthquake. The schools will collapse on children leaving them trapped as a large tsunami rolls in. Trapped with no way to escape the majority of children in Seaside school district will either drown alive or be killed by a building collapsing on top of them. Those fortunate enough to make it out of the school after the earthquake will still have to

California’s unique geography as a state makes it a very appealing place to call home. From the odd east to west transverse San Gabriel mountain ranges of the Los Angeles Basin, to the bumpy coastal ranges of the Bay Area, any person can find a compatible topographic terrain to their liking. California may seem to be the perfect place to live with its ideal climate and extensive geographic features. However, due to California’s location over the shifting continental plates, coupled with its enormous and also multiple faults, at any time this great state can fall victim to a seismic disaster. After examining evidence from both Rong-Gong Lin’s II Los Angeles Times article of April 18, 2016 and the NOVA videos Killer Quake ( 2006), Earthquake (2007), as well as Geologic Journey II – Episode 3 (The Pacific Rim: Americas) – Part 3 (San Francisco) and The Great San Francisco Earthquake (American Experience ~ 2005), one can take a comparative account of the three major earthquakes of California’s past. Although each earthquake was very devastating on is own; the Great Quake 0f 1906, the Loma Prieta quake of 1989, and the NorthRidge quake of 1994 each amounted to an extensive forfeiture of property and life. Each of these earthquakes created much suffering and loss. It is imperative for each citizen of this great state to understand the damage that a California quake can actually do and be prepared; for the threat of one always looms.

Kathryn Schulz has provided insight of the dangers of the Cascadia Subduction Zone and the lack of our countries preparedness. Seismologist has detected and proven probability of an enormous earthquake and/or tsunami that is over due to take place along the western coast line and yet the lack of preparedness is evident. Thousands of lives will be lost due to unpreparedness.

Officials may think that money is more important than 25,000 deaths that could result from Cascadia. Just because Washington and Oregon are less densely populated, it doesn’t mean that they could overlook the lives in danger. Some groups such as the Cascadia Region Earthquake Workgroup and emergency management and scientific agencies across Cascadia have been engaged for years in public education efforts aimed at raising awareness and encouraging individuals, families, and businesses to prepare for earthquakes and tsunamis. The “stop, drop, cover, and hold” drill has been wildly spreaded along with tsunami evacuation drills. These have raised awareness nationwide and others should also contribute to the cause. The government should,

Throughout this unit, the Science in Practice class has been learning about natural disasters and the impact it has on humans and environment. The natural disaster that will be discussed in this report is the Boxing Day Tsunami, which occurred on the 26th of December, 2004. The tsunami took place in the Indian Ocean. Due to, two tectonics plates, the Indo-Australian plate and the Eurasian plate colliding, causing an underwater earthquake. Due to this awful disaster, people were killed, injured, diagnosed with diseases, homes and businesses were destroyed, the environment damaged.

Tsunamis occur when an earthquake happens in the ocean and the energy goes to the water creating huge waves. Tsunamis are very dangerous they can be so strong that they wash away the city, harm thousands, and cause hundreds of thousands to billions of dollars in damage. “A giant tsunami along the West Coast would wash away coastal towns, destroy U.S. Highway 101 and cause $70 billion in damage. More than 100 bridges would be lost, power lines toppled and coastal towns isolated. Residents would have as few as 15 minutes’ notice to flee to higher ground, and as many as 10,000 would die” (Dangerous tsunami threat off U.S. West Coast). This shows what kind of damage this geo-process can

The west coast can be split in half! There is no doubt that the west coast is aware of the monstrous earthquake that will happen in the near future, but unfortunately as a community we are not prepared for what is yet to come. California is right in the middle of the San Andreas fault line, therefore the whole state will be hugely affected by the upcoming earthquake. Thus, making it important for the state to prepare what is coming ahead. As a citizen of California, it is essential to know how to mentally and physically to be prepare for the earthquake and how to adapt afterwards, in order to succeed for the aftermath of the natural disaster, and not fail alike the failures of Hurricane Katrina. As united citizens, we must be prepare for the upcoming earthquake as a global community in order to prevent disorganization and control, such as Hurricane Katrina displayed, to rebuild as quickly and successfully as possible as a nation.

Imagine if a 9.0 earthquake struck the West Coast today, resulting in a giant tsunami. Coastal towns would be washed away or completely isolated, and electricity would be lost (FOX5). There would be $70 billion in damage and people would only have 15 minutest to evacuate or move to higher ground resulting in 10,000 deaths (FOX5). This sounds like a plot for a scary movie, but this is actually a reality. The Oregon Coast in located on a subduction zone, which makes it very susceptible to major earthquakes and tsunamis. With the Cascadia subduction zone running along he West Coast the threat of a major tsunami is very real.

Earthquakes are environmental catastrophes which are unpreventable by human beings. While major earthquakes are not predictable, they could be further understood through scientific analysis of infrastructure evidence made by seismologists. The Hayward Fault in northern California poses a great seismic hazard for a megathrust earthquake. This paper utilizes environmental evidence along the fault line to further understand the nature of this major fault and the probability of a major earthquake occurrence.

The tsunami waves reached heights up to 128 feet at Miyako city and traveled inland as far as six miles. A tsunami is a series of large sea waves caused by a large displacement of water. The tsunami flooded an estimated area of approximately 217 square miles in Japan. The massive waves destroyed large three-story buildings where many people seeked for safety. Within hours of the first tsunami hit Hawaii and set off multiple warning to Canada, Alaska, South America, the United States, the Oregon coast, and the Pacific.

Scientists have projected possible tsunami scenarios for coastal Oregon and Washington, based on the human impact of the 2004 Sumatra and 2011 Japan tsunami. An earthquake along the Cascadia subduction zone could be as large as the one that hit Japan lastMarch, and the tsunami could reach the coast in 20 minutes (National Geographic Society [NGS], 1996). The tsunami could create a massive catastrophe killing over 10,000 people during the summer since the evacuation centers are sparse and some people have lower access to high ground (NGS, 1996). For instance, a resort town named Ocean Shores lies on a low-ground narrow peninsula and 5,500 people live there year-round (NGS, 1996). According to the National Geography Society (1996), a catastrophic

Tsunamis occur when there is sudden movement in an extensive body of water such as earthquakes, landslides on the sea floor, major volcanic eruptions or meteorite impacts. The most common source of a tsunami is earthquakes, which are another type of geomorphic hazard that is caused by the friction and stress that tectonic plates put on each other. Tsunamis primarily occur in coastal or island regions where there is a tectonic border or what is known as the ring of fire. As shown in the diagram below the ring of fire is located along the coastal and island regions of the world.As a result of the Pacific Plate diving beneath the Eurasian plate, on March 11, 2011, there were 2 geomorphic hazards, a magnitude-9 earthquake struck north Japan, which caused a deadly tsunami that reached heights of 39 meters. The destructive dilemma was dubbed ‘The Great Sendai Disaster’. The earthquake was caused by multiple centuries of stress on the tectonic plates surrounding the island. The earthquake caused a tsunami that reached the height of 39 meters (128 feet). Japanese scientists had previously discovered that there was another tsunami just like the one in 2011 that took place in 869 AD. But their warning was unhindered. The tsunami, which occurred in 869 AD, was caused by the same tectonic fault as the 2011 tsunami. The epicenter of the earthquake was off the northeast cost of Japan leading to a devastating tsunami that killed many and left many wishing they were. The massive earthquake caused an upward wave that headed towards the city of Sendai. Researches have recently uncovered a thin layer of clay that lubricated the fault zone causing the deadly tectonic slip, thus creating a tsunami that could wipe out an entire city as it did in 2011.The aftermath of the 2011 tsunami and earthquake was not pretty; it caused many deaths, injuries, traumas, financial difficulties, destruction of property, health bills and the destruction of the landscape as a whole. The natural disaster caused nearly 16,000 casualties and there are an estimated 2,500 people still reported missing. Although drowning caused most deaths others include, crushed by debris, suicide and diseases caused by nuclear radiation (cancer) spilled from nuclear

After and the aftershocks, there was fear of a tsunami people started to worry. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center issued a report saying that “no tsunami is expected,” although officials at the center warned of the possibility of one in Hawaii. There was so much damage they did not know what to do.

Researchers have found that if a 9.0 magnitude earthquake strikes the U.S’s california there is a great chance that a tsunami will occur. If that happens it will cost over 70 billion dollars to repair. People around that area would only have a 15 minute notice to flee. It could destroy roads, power lines, bridges, towns, and so much more. Over 100,00 people would die at an estimate. There has been two major earthquakes. One of the earthquakes was on a sunday and at a 6.8 magnitude and the other one in 2005 was at a 7.0 magnitude. In california there has been six earthquakes over a 7.0 magnitude or greater in the past 100 years. Scientists have focused on the 9.0 earthquake and the tsunami in japan in

In March of 2011, a magnitude 9 earthquake hit Japan, releasing a dangerous tsunami. Japan was not expecting the magnitude of the earthquake and tsunami, and endured much hardship after the disaster. The effects of the tsunami can still be seen in Japan today through its residents, economy, and through actions that have been taken to further protect residents from future disasters. Though the Japan 2011 tsunami is one of the most destructive tsunamis ever recorded, dangerous tsunamis continue to take place across the globe. The Japan 2011 tsunami not only affected the inhabitants of Japan, but also affected people around the world. After disasters such as this, each area must endure the aftermath of the disaster and recover from the effects.