Much attention has been given lately to the possibility of an 8.0-9.0
magnitude Cascadia Subduction Zone (CSZ) earthquake occurring in the Pacific
Northwest, along the CSZ fault line, which stretches from southern British
Columbia to northern California. History has shown, and scientists confirm,
this quake occurs, on average, once every 200 to 500 years. The last major CSZ
earthquake and tsunami occurred in 1700.
A four-day functional exercise, Cascadia Rising 2016, was
conducted June 7-10, 2016. This exercise brought together multiple parties to coordinate
a response to a CSZ earthquake and tsunami. Participants included agencies at
state, local and federal levels in Oregon, Washington and Idaho.