Is FEMA Ready for a West Coast Mega-Quake Disaster THIS WEEK???

[paravani]

Hi, All!

The West Coast is way overdue for a mega-quake of magnitude 8 to 9+ -- we haven't gone this long without one since before the invention of the wheel -- and there is good reason to believe that it will come this week, perhaps as early as tomorrow.

Yesterday, at 6:01pm PST, we had our first large "foreshock" quake directly on the Juan de Fuca plate.

In Japan last year they had foreshocks two days before the event; I hope that we have more time to prepare than that.

(There is much, much more information with source links in my post on "Current Events." Please review it; I won't double-post.)

Although many of us who live on the West Coast do know about the possibility of large earthquakes here, I don't think that enough people are prepared. Certainly most people don't really think a quake of this size is imminent, though the area has a long history of them (as told by the geological features and underwater landslides).

But of even greater concern to me is that this quake couldn't be coming at a worse time, with FEMA still dealing with Sandy on the East Coast. If they had any earth-moving equipment standing by, it is surely there now, not here; and with all of our waterways, bridges, and overpasses, I am certain that if the equipment is not in place before the quake, there will not be passable roads to get it here after the quake.

Comments, anyone?

-- Paravani

 

[ScienceRocks]

Don't fucking say that as I live on that bitch

 

[paravani]

Don't fucking say that as I live on that bitch

I live there, too. We're neighbors.

-- Paravani

 

[hjmick]

My impression is that FEMA is not ready for any sort of disaster...

 

[JimH52]

I pray it doesn't happen...I remember the 89 earthquake in SF. It was a helpless feeling of shock and disbelief, as I watched images of collapsed bridges and crumbled buildings.

 

[Mad Scientist]

I grew up in SoCal, Long Beach/Lakewood, and I've been hearing my whole life that we're due for the "Big One". We know we live on the San Andreas fault line because we feel the little earthquakes all the time.

But predicting exactly when it's gonna' happen is futile and frankly a little silly.

 

[paravani]

Hi, Jim!

I pray it doesn't happen...I remember the 89 earthquake in SF. It was a helpless feeling of shock and disbelief, as I watched images of collapsed bridges and crumbled buildings.

Unfortunately, subduction zone events happen -- sooner or later, and hopefully later -- but they have to happen periodically because that's just how the world works.

The North America/Juan de Fuca plates converge at a rate of about 3-4cms per year, which works out to a total of 9 meters of convergence over the last 300 years that we've gone without a mega-quake. When the quake happens, the pressure of the two plates converging is released, the plates "snap back" into place, and the land on the beach subsides about six feet -- so, much of Seaside and Astoria will be underwater post-quake, which is part of why they will be subject to such great Tsunamis. When that much land moves over hundreds of miles of shoreline, a massive amount of water is displaced.

Please see the Oregon Department of Geology publication Cascadia Winter 2010 for a more thorough explanation.

Again, it isn't "IF" it happens -- it's WHEN. Please God let it not be today or this week -- but I've been studying this for several years as our earth passes through a very seismically active phase, and conditions seem very ripe right now for some massive earth movements. I'd be irresponsible not to alert whomever I can however I can.

-- Paravani