The United States is at risk. Yes, beneath the deep waters of the Pacific Ocean lies a major threat stretching from Vancouver Island to Northern California: a megatsunami capable of generating waves up to 300 meters high and wiping out the entire West Coast of the United States in just minutes.
Researchers from Virginia Tech have revealed that this catastrophe, far from being science fiction, is backed by geological records and alarming predictive models. But… do we have a date? For now, no. But the warning is more real than ever. Want to know why?
What is a megathrust earthquake?
The origin of this phenomenon would be a megathrust earthquake with a magnitude higher than 9.0 on the Cascadia fault, a seismic line over a thousand kilometres long.
The result could be devastating for millions of people in Washington, Oregon, and Northern California, where more than 70,000 km² are at direct risk… We don’t even want to think about it.
What is a megatsunami and why is it so destructive?
Unlike regular tsunamis, whose waves usually reach between 10 and 20 metres, a megatsunami can raise walls of water hundreds of meters high. And these waves, in a matter of minutes, could swallow entire cities, from ports to coastal skyscrapers, without enough time to evacuate.
Have you seen The Impossible? The movie based on the 2004 tsunami that heavily affected Southeast Asia and caused more than 230,000 deaths? That tsunami in Sumatra exceeded 30 metres in height. Now we’re talking about 300 metres… It would be devastating.
The role of the Cascadia fault
The Cascadia fault is a subduction zone, which means that one plate (the Juan de Fuca Plate) slides beneath another (the North American Plate). A huge amount of tension builds up here, like when you run into your ex and their new partner. Once all possible tension has accumulated, it releases energy on a massive scale, generating very large earthquakes. That same energy displaces giant masses of water, creating monster waves that travel at terrifying speeds.
And… it has happened before
According to the team led by geologist Tina Dura, there is evidence of at least 19 megatsunamis in the last 10,000 years. The most recent one occurred in the year 1700 and was so violent that the waves reached Japan. So, we are talking about a recurring phenomenon, not a hypothetical scenario…
Artificial Intelligence to predict it too
Geologists have created models with artificial intelligence showing that cities like Seattle and Portland could be completely devastated in less than 15 minutes after the first tremor. This short time frame makes any attempt at mass evacuation a race against the impossible.
The keys to survival
Although government agencies are already working on earthquake alert systems and evacuation plans, as well as drills, the big challenge remains the lack of public awareness. Most people in high-risk areas don’t know they are in real danger because no one has ever explained what could happen.
Of course, the disaster would not only affect people and buildings. It would also impact international trade. By destroying key port infrastructures, it could alter economic routes and cause geopolitical impacts on a global scale. In other words, the megatsunami would be a phenomenon with cascading effects that would change the dynamics of the United States and the entire world.
We must prepare for the worst
Authorities have started to reinforce structures, create evacuation plans, and raise awareness in the most exposed communities, especially coastal populations. However, time is running out. Most of those who live near the coast have no idea that a sleeping monster lies beneath their feet, and that the silence of the Pacific could break without warning.
The threat of a megatsunami is not new, but it has never been so clear. Science backs it, history confirms it, and modern technology models it. The big question is not “if” it will happen, but “when” and how prepared we’ll be to face it.
