Exactly 20 years ago, at 10:54 am February 28, 2001, West Seattle and the rest of the region was shaken in a big way by what went into the history books as the Nisqually Earthquake, after its South Sound epicenter. The magnitude 6.8 quake was big but not The Big One – that is considered to be still likely someday, maybe in our lifetimes, maybe not. But you need to be ready – there are abundant reasons why, such as what’s shown on this USGS map of how the area stacks up in shaking risk; note that some parts of West Seattle are considered at higher risk than others.
Meantime, preparedness remains vital. Every time there’s an anniversary, we remind you that a single, simple action you can take is to know your nearest Hub:
Shown on that map are the Emergency Communications Hubs – community-powered, pre-planned locations you would go in case of major catastrophe, if regular communication channels were disrupted. Be sure you and your family know the closest one. If there’s not one anywhere near your neighborhood, you can organize one – start here. Quakes are still happening – usually too small to feel (check this map for the most-recent ones) – but still without warning; even though an “early warning” tool is in development, it would give you seconds at best.
P.S. So where were you when the Nisqually Quake hit?
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