16 June 16

JON AUSTIN for the Express reports, A DEVASTATING 9.3 magnitude earthquake powerful enough to unleash a tsunami could strike the west coast of America after a series of tremors on a major fault line.Emergency services are already preparing for how to deal with a terrible off-shore earthquake in the Cascadia Subduction Zone, off the west coast of America near California.

Impending Cascadia Subduction Zone Quake Back In The News

A few minutes of intense shaking, followed by a devastating tsunami, the loss of thousands of lives and widespread destruction to infrastructure that left entire communities cut off from help. It would take years to repair and rebuild. This was the scene in Japan in March of 2011 when a massive 9.0-magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of the island nation.

But this is also a scene predicted for the Pacific Northwest as the result of a likely massive Cascadia Subduction Zone earthquake off the coast of Washington and Oregon. The last time this fault line sparked an earthquake was more than 300 years ago, and experts say we’re long overdue for another one. Seismologists put the likelihood of an earthquake similar in strength to the 2011 one that hit Japan striking the Pacific Northwest in the next 50 years at more than 30 percent.

Earlier this month, Portland-based writer Adam Rothstein published a five-part “reported science fiction” series for Vice’s Motherboard about the devastation such a quake would have on our region, entitled “After The Big One.” Sunday morning, CBS reporter Don Dahler once again focused on the Northwest’s pending natural disaster.

It’s the latest in a long line of national attention brought to the seismic issues facing this region. Last fall, the New Yorker piece “The Really Big One”exposed much of the nation to the science and real fears surrounding the looming quake. Since then, numerous media outlets have focused on the pending disaster to varying levels. One thing is clear from everyone’s coverage: The Northwest isn’t ready to handle such a massive quake.

Oregon Public Broadcasting has been reporting on that exact issue through our “Unprepared” series. We’ve spoken with seismologists, scientists, emergency preparedness experts and local and state officials to capture the scope of the major problem surrounding this impending earthquake: Preparing for it.

We’ve also dove into the science behind the subduction zone — specifically,how experts know when the last major quake hit this region and how they can predict we’re due for another one.

While Oregon and its neighbors have a long way to go to improve infrastructure to better deal with such a disaster, there are things individuals can do to make sure they and their loved ones are ready, no matter when the quake hits. Check out Aftershock, our tool which helps illustrate how hard your neighborhood will be affected by the quake and its impact. Then, read up on our guides on preparedness.

ARE YOU COMPLETELY PREPARED? 

IT’S THE MOST IMPORTANT PREP YOU CAN DO!   

The Bible tells us that every human has sinned and fallen short of the glory of God which is  is a heart-penetrating truth. He has provided a way to cleanse us of our sins since we can never be “good enough” to cleanse ourselves. That avenue to God’s grace, mercy and forgiveness (the cleansing of our sins) is through His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ of Nazareth Who is equally God.