Experts warn: Three U.S. regions at risk of possible ‘mega-tsunami’

Imagine discovering the ocean racing toward your neighborhood when you wake up one morning.

Scientists claim that in three parts of the United States, that horrifying scenario is not merely the stuff of fiction but rather an actual possibility.

Researchers are warning of a possible “mega tsunami” that may destroy entire communities from Washington State to Northern California, with Alaska and Hawaii also at significant risk.

The danger?

Rising sea levels and a huge earthquake along the Cascadia subduction zone, a sleeping monster, might make matters worse.

What is the subduction zone of Cascadia?

This fault line, which stretches from Northern Vancouver Island to Cape Mendocino, California, has the potential to produce a massive earthquake that would cause land to collapse as well as a devastating wave event that might engulf entire towns.

The threat is explained in a recent study that was published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. According to Virginia Tech researchers, an earthquake in this region may cause land to sink up to 6½ feet, significantly enlarging coastal floodplains.

“The growth of the coastal floodplain after an earthquake in the Cascadia subduction zone has never been measured before,” Tina Dura, the study’s lead author and an assistant professor at Virginia Tech, noted.

“The time to recovery could be greatly extended by the effects on land use.”

The part that’s frightening?

Experts estimate that during the next 50 years, there is a 15% risk that this fault may cause an earthquake of magnitude 8.0 or higher.

Why this might be disastrous

Mega tsunamis can occur when massive portions of the Earth’s crust move during an earthquake, landslide, or volcanic eruption, displacing ocean water.

These waves are completely different from the usual beach swells.

They can destroy anything in their path as they travel at incredible speeds and reach heights of hundreds of feet.

In the Pacific Northwest, aftershocks, ground sinking, and the potential for enormous waves to fall inland are more worrisome than the shaking alone.

“Cascadia is a special location.

Although it’s not very crowded, most estuaries have a community, and they’re all doing well in the subsidence zone,” Dura continued.

In all honesty, I believe that the effects of the subsidence could be more significant here than they have been in other recent major earthquakes worldwide.

Hawaii and Alaska are also in jeopardy.

As glaciers melt and loosen rocks, landslides become more likely in Alaska, which is already known for its rough terrain and frequent earthquakes, the Daily Mail said.

On the other hand, massive tsunamis brought on by erupting volcanoes have a troubled past in Hawaii.

According to scientists, a huge piece of land broke off approximately 105,000 years ago, causing a 1,000-foot wave to crash into the island of Lanai.

Furthermore, the hazard still exists.

Two of Hawaii’s most active volcanoes, Mauna Loa and Kilauea, are constantly changing the islands’ shape with lava flows and shifting terrain.

As recently as May 16, Kilauea was erupting vigorously, reminding everyone that the island’s volcanic underbelly is still very much alive.

The fire ring is getting hotter.

All of this falls within what geologists refer to as the “Ring of Fire,” a vast area surrounding the Pacific Ocean where tectonic plate collisions cause the most powerful earthquakes and violent volcanic eruptions on Earth.

When was the last real release from the Cascadia subduction zone?

January 26, 1700.

This indicates that another significant seismic event in the area is long overdue.

What are you able to do?

A tsunami cannot be prevented, but it may be prepared for.

Talk to your family on what to do in the event of a crisis, be aware of your local evacuation routes, and keep up with emergency alerts.

Although experts are unsure of the precise time of the next major earthquake, they are certain that it will happen eventually rather than if.

This is a wake-up call for everyone who lives close to the West Coast; it is not a cause for alarm.