Scientists warn the Cascadia Subduction Zone off the U.S. West Coast is capable of producing a magnitude 9.0 earthquake that could trigger waves exceeding 1,000 feet in height along coastal Washington, Oregon, and Northern California. The Federal Emergency Management Agency estimates such an event could displace over one million Americans and cost trillions of dollars in damage. Geologists warn the fault is overdue for a major rupture, with the last major event being the 1700 Cascadia earthquake.
