Visit CREW’s YouTube channel to see our newly posted presentations
Visit CREW’s YouTube channel to see our newly posted presentations
Many recent earthquakes that grabbed headlines occurred outside of Cascadia, in countries such as Japan (Tohoku, 2011), Chile and Haiti (2010) and Indonesia (Sumatra, 2004). These far-away events, while not a part of Cascadia’s history, can teach us what to expect from future earthquakes in our region and help us plan and prepare for them.
Tohoku
A catastrophic magnitude 9 earthquake hit the northeast coast of Japan on March 11, 2011. The quake and resulting tsunami killed more than 15,700 people and injured another 5,300. More than 4,600 went missing. The events destroyed or damaged buildings, roads, bridges and several reactors at a nuclear power plant. Electricity, gas and water supplies, telecommunications and railway service were disrupted. Economic losses were estimated at $309 billion.
What it means for Cascadia
The tsunami generated by the Tohoku quake hit Hawaii and the U.S. west coast but caused relatively minor damage that generally was limited to beach front and harbor facilities.
More Tohoku resources