The Next Cascadia Tsunami Preparedness is Key to Saving Lives

Take a moment…

Source: bloomberg.com

Source: bloomberg.com

Japanese dock reaches Oregon shore

The Next Cascadia

Tsunami Preparedness is Key to Saving Lives

ESS 418 Frances Lin

Professor Kate Huntington

Megathrust Earthquakes

•  world’s largest recorded earthquake

•  M8 or more

•  occur at major subduction zones

•  can cause deadly tsunami

Source: ThinkQuest.org

Generation of a Tsunami

1.  tectonic plates converge,

resulting in… subducting

underneath the other plate

2.  two plates lock

together…

3.  tremendous amount of

energy builds up until…

overriding plate bounces

back and lift the water

4.  trigger tsunami

When moving waves reach

the shore…

1.

2.

3.

4.

(Atwater, 2005., Sieh, 2006)

The 2011 Japanese tsunami aftermath

Source: CRS Voices

H.K. Pushpa with her husband after the 2004 tsunami hit the Galle

area of Sri Lanka. She lost her husband and her home…

Source: Concordia University Magazine

Earthquake Tsunami – Major Cause of Deaths

Sumatra-Andaman tsunamis in 2004

•  western Indonesia

•  Dec. 26

•  280,000 deaths (Sieh, 2006)

Tōhoku tsunami in 2011

•  eastern Japan

•  Mar. 11

•  25,000 lives (Parker, 2012)

Cascadia Subduction Zone

•  along the Pacific Northwest region of North

America and northern California…

•  extends 1100 km from northern Vancouver to

northern California (USGS, 2013)

(Hyndamn and Wang, 1995)

Lack of reoccurrence since 1700

•  at least seven earthquakes

•  averaged 500-year interval

–  ranges from 300 to 700

•  none since 1700

•  now. do the math…

Source: Wikipedia

Great Earthquake

Summary

est. year interval

(years)

1700 AD -

1310 AD 390

810 AD 500

400 AD 410

170 BC 570

600 BC 430

? 2004

2011

1960

1964

2010

seconds finish my

presentation week month year 10 years 50 years 

Not what if… but when…

most recent

1700

(Clague, 1997)

Take Home

•  lessons… the 2011 Japanese tsunami

•  population densities

•  little time to escape

•  summer tourism

Because the consequences… devastating and the lack of reoccurrence

implies that… Pacific northwest region and northern California need to

invest in additional funding for 1) public education campaigns and 2)

evacuation structures

Source: Boards.ie

2011 Tōhoku tsunami

•  most prepared nation for seismic events

•  suffered severely

(Earthquake Engineering Research Institute, 2011)

(Suppasri et al., 2012)

seawall

•  built 3.5 m high

•  wave 8 m flood gates

•  built 8 m high

•  wave 15+ m

many evacuation shelters

inundated..

Japan failed to anticipate for a large-scale tsunami 

Lessons… from Japan

•  seawalls

•  flood gates

•  evacuation shelters

decision based on financial reasons

could save more lives!

Source: Channel4

Japan

people are aware of tsunami

several past events

prepared… not enough

25,000 death

US

huh? low awareness (Davis, 2006)

no major events

working on it…

.....

movie The Impossible (2012)

•  major cities… not locate on the

Cascadia subduction zone

•  still many people… in costal cities

–  Long Beach, CA

–  Seaside, OR

•  residence, local business, etc expose

to the threat everyday

high population densities

Source: Economic Development Blog

(Sieh, 2006)

why education?

•  wave could hit… < 30 minutes

•  need to be educated to head for high

grounds as soon as the earthquake

happens

however, those along the coasts

•  no way to escape

•  miles away from safe zones

•  5 connected bridges; 4

•  vertical evacuation structures will

solve the problem Source: DOGAMI

evacuation map of Seaside, OR (Steel, 2013)

1

2 3

4

5

vertical evacuation structures 

allow people to evacuate vertically and

are important for people

•  no access to high grounds

•  hard time… safe

(Cascadia Region Earthquake Workshop, 2010)

horizontal

vertical

Why is it necessary?

•  hard time to make it to high ground safe

–  elderly

–  people with disabilities

–  kids

Source: Heather on her travels blog

Source: dailymail.co.uk

Source: Swell Surf School

Sumatra-Andaman tsunami (2004)

•  280,000 people died

•  popular travel destination

•  Christmas holiday

Pacific Northwest region &

Northern California

•  beach festivals

•  annual AVP Beach Volleyball

Professional tour

•  … tired for Seattle weather

summer time tourism Tumblr: passingloveletters Blogspot: photofashionista

•  not only talking about your (teenaged, filled in the blank) friends

•  your parents

•  brother, sister or relatives, professors, TAs, or co-wokers

•  anyone you know

•  even if… you don’t know

Source: gigwise.com

their lives MATTER

•  results… devastating

•  highly probable… lack

of reoccurrence

•  Japan’s lesson…

preparedness can save

lives

•  population densities

•  tourism

•  short time to react

Pacific NW and Northern California need additional funding for 1) public

awareness campaigns (education) and 2) evacuation structures

URGENCY!

Source: stuff.co.nz

educate yourself and others