Great ShakeOut preparing Pacific Northwest for the inevitable

One million people have committed to preparing for what experts are saying is the inevitable.

Washington is overdue for a large-scale earthquake, which is why so many are going to participate in The Great Washington ShakeOut.

More than 300,000 in King County alone have agreed to take part in the state-wide event, including KIRO Radio, which is scheduled for Thursday, Oct. 15. It’s an event that could save lives when the the big one hits.

Do you know what to do in the event of an earthquake?

1. DROP to the ground (before the earthquake drops you!)
2. Take COVER by getting under a sturdy desk or table
3. HOLD ON to it until the shaking stops

If projections are correct, at least some pockets of Washington and Oregon along the Cascadia subduction zone will experience major destruction. If a magnitude 8.7 to 9.2 earthquake hits, the Northwest edge of the continental shelf will drop as much as six feet and then rebound 30 to 100 feet to the west. And it won’t end there.

All the elevation gained will be lost within minutes, displacing an almost unfathomable amount of water that will move both east and west. That is why, along with being prepared for an earthquake, experts warn that Washington residents should be prepared for a major tsunami.

But things won’t be as bad as long as people are ready. Washington Seismologist Bill Steele told KIRO Radio that some information being published, including a New Yorker article that went viral, err on the side of fear. As long as people have an emergency plan and some supplies, there shouldn’t be 13,000 deaths as reported.

University of Washington Seismologist John Vidale says it’s important to build a food and water supply.