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A new study by geologists from the Washington State Department of Natural Resources (DNR) found that the impact of a magnitude 7.5 earthquake on the Seattle Fault could cause tsunami waves as high as 42 feet.
According to the department’s simulation, those waves would reach the greater Seattle area in just three minutes, extending inland to Lumen Field and T-Mobile Park.
In addition, waves will hit the shoreline during this time period in many locations on the east side of Bainbridge Island, Elliott Bay and Alki Point.
The Washington Geological Survey conducted the study to assist local and state emergency managers and planners.
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The Space Needle and Mount Rainier are seen on the skyline of Seattle, Washington, U.S., February 11, 2017. (REUTERS/Chris Helgren) #
Flooding from such an event would exceed 20 feet along the shoreline of most of Seattle.
Strong currents and flooding can last more than three hours from the start of the earthquake.
Six feet of flooding in Tacoma Harbor would be lower than previous studies, but it also found that waves could reach up to three miles inland in parts of the harbor.
The Seattle skyline is pictured from a Washington state ferry after a statement by ferry officials urging riders to consider staying in their vehicles when driving aboard and other steps to minimize exposure to the coronavirus in Seattle, Washington, U.S., March 4 2020 (REUTERS/Jason Redmond)
The study also showed shoreline flooding and increased currents in the Salish Sea, from Blaine to Olympia.
The Seattle Fault cuts east-west across Puget Sound and downtown Seattle.
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The scenario used in this modeling is of a very large earthquake with a low probability of producing the maximum considered tsunami generated by the Seattle Fault for contingency planning purposes.
The model does not consider tidal stages or local tsunamis triggered by earthquake-triggered landslides.
The Space Needle and Mount Rainier are seen on the skyline of Seattle, Washington, U.S., February 11, 2017. (REUTERS/Chris Helgren) #
The last earthquake on the Seattle Fault occurred about 1,100 years ago.
The department wrote that the evidence shows five additional earthquakes with an estimated magnitude of 6.5 have occurred on the Seattle fault zone in the past 3,500 years.
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“While the chances of this happening in our lifetime are low, it’s important for families to prepare now,” Maximilian Dixon, chief of the hazard and outreach program at the Washington Department of Emergency Management, said in a statement. “Earth shaking will be your warning that a tsunami may be coming. Make sure you know where the nearest elevation is and the fastest route to get there. Sign up for tsunami and local warnings.”
Julia Musto is a reporter for Fox News Digital. You can find her on Twitter at @JuliaElenaMusto.
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