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New Puget Sound Tsunami Model for Subduction Earthquake

A new tsunami model that wasn't available before.

Way back when, "15 years ago," I would tell people that there isn't a model available for what might happen in the Puget Sound when there was/will be a Cascadia subduction earthquake out in the Pacific Ocean on the coast. My recommendation back then was to cease activities like loading and unloading ferries and cargo ships. Move away from the shoreline and see what happens.

Now there is a new simulation for what the waves might be in the inland waters of the Puget Sound.

Ten feet or more in wave height is not really, really bad, but it will certainly cause considerable damage to facilities and boats, and injuries or death to people who hang around to see how big the wave is.

Now is the time to pre-identify what your Emergency Alert System (EAS) message should be for issuing a warning to your community. 

Eric Holdeman is a contributing writer for Emergency Management magazine and is the former director of the King County, Wash., Office of Emergency Management.