Brief by Shorts91 Newsdesk / 09:49am on 14 Aug 2025,Thursday Weather & Environment
A Virginia Tech study warns of a potential 1,000-foot “mega-tsunami” along the US Pacific Coast if a magnitude 8.0+ earthquake strikes the Cascadia Subduction Zone. Stretching 600 miles from Northern California to Vancouver Island, the fault could trigger sudden coastal land subsidence of up to 6.5 feet, flooding cities like Seattle and Portland within minutes. Lead researcher Tina Dura cautions that such an event could cause over 30,000 deaths and $81 billion in damages. The last major quake there in 1700 sent waves to Japan. Scientists urge immediate investment in early-warning systems, resilient infrastructure, and evacuation planning to reduce disaster impact. (PC: X)
