A magnitude 4.2 earthquake shook the Seattle area Tuesday evening, prompting thousands of reports across Puget Sound and drawing renewed attention to a nearby fault capable of producing a catastrophic magnitude 9.0 earthquake.
The earthquake struck approximately 22 miles from Seattle, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. More than 5,000 people reported feeling the quake within its first hour, the Daily Mail reported.
Shaking was felt across Seattle, Tacoma and Olympia. The USGS characterized most reports as “weak” or “light.” No injuries or structural damage were immediately reported.
The agency estimated there was approximately a one-in-four chance of an aftershock stronger than magnitude 3.0 occurring within the following 24 hours.
Although small earthquakes regularly occur throughout Puget Sound, earthquakes stronger than magnitude 4.0 happen in the region only about once every three years.
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The area’s last major earthquake was the magnitude 6.8 Nisqually earthquake in 2001. That event injured hundreds of people and caused billions of dollars in damage.
Tuesday’s earthquake attracted additional attention because its epicenter was near the Cascadia Subduction Zone, where the Juan de Fuca Plate is forced beneath the North American Plate.
Scientists have nicknamed the fault the “Sleeping Giant” because of its ability to produce powerful earthquakes and tsunamis. Researchers believe a full rupture could generate a magnitude 9.0 earthquake affecting much of the West Coast, including Seattle and Portland, Oregon.
The Cascadia Subduction Zone has historically produced earthquakes of magnitude 8.0 or greater every 400 to 600 years. Its last known major rupture occurred in 1700.
Federal Emergency Management Agency projections warn that a major Cascadia earthquake could collapse approximately 7,000 road bridges. The agency estimates that 85% of the region’s ports and drinking-water facilities and 77% of its airports, railways, schools and hospitals could be seriously damaged or destroyed.
James Lasher, a seasoned writer and editor at Charisma Media, combines faith and storytelling with a journalism background from Otterbein University and ministry experience in Guatemala and at the LA Dream Center. A Marine Corps and Air Force veteran, he is the author of The Revelation of Jesus: A Common Man’s Commentary and a contributor to Charisma magazine. For interviews and media inquiries, please contact [email protected].
