Washington

Washington is earthquake and tsunami country! Washington’s outer and inner coasts are highly vulnerable to tsunamis thanks to the presence of numerous crustal faults and the Cascadia Subduction Zone (CSZ) offshore. The CSZ has been responsible for 19 earthquakes of magnitude 9+ in the last 10,000 years.

Evidence of the most recent Cascadia earthquake and tsunami to hit Washington’s shores in 1700 remains in the form of ghost forests, tsunami sand deposits, and the oral traditions of Native Americans. This tsunami also travelled across the Pacific Ocean to hit the shores of Japan where it was known as the “Orphan Tsunami” until evidence linked it back to the Cascadia earthquake.

With over 3,000 miles of coastline, 58 coastal communities, significant harbor and coastal infrastructure, and a large at-risk population, Washington continues to make tsunami hazard reduction a high emergency management priority. The Washington State Tsunami Program empowers individuals and communities to make the informed risk management decisions necessary for adapting to, withstanding, and quickly recovering from tsunami hazard incidents. It supports local jurisdictions in this effort by promoting tsunami planning, educating coastal residents and visitors about tsunami dangers, ensuring functionality of onshore communications infrastructure, and developing mitigation strategies, as well as continuing to collaborate with other states and federal partners in pursuit of these objectives.