updated 7:23 p.m. ET, Tues., Oct . 27, 2009

The Cascadia thrust fault, one of the most dangerous and powerful faults on Earth, will hit even closer to home than anyone thought possible, according to a new study.

If the new findings are accurate, the fault will rupture within 68 miles of downtown Seattle, pouring seismic energy into a densely populated urban area, threatening to knock down buildings both large and small, and endangering the lives of the city's nearly 10 million residents.

The threat of earthquakes is just a part of life for those living in Seattle, Vancouver and throughout the Puget Sound region. Scientists know it is just a matter of time before Cascadia lets loose a devastating quake on the order of magnitude 9.0.

www.msnbc.msn.com...

If a huge quake hit, shaking in the city would be strong but low-frequency, the thinking went. There's a risk that buildings might collapse under that scenario, but those less than 10 stories would be spared.

A newly released video from Washington's Department of Transportation simulates what a catastrophic earthquake would do to the Seattle waterfront.

However at least in the NW we don't have to worry about hurricanes and tornadoes.

Originally posted by jam321
reply to post by oneinthesame

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However at least in the NW we don't have to worry about hurricanes and tornadoes.

True. Guess every area has their own unique disasters awaiting them.



Appreciate the video.