What is the earthquake hazard in Washington?
The seismology lab at the University of Washington records several thousand earthquakes each year in Washington and Oregon. Between one and two dozen of these cause enough ground shaking to be felt by residents, though few cause any damage. However, based on the history of past damaging earthquakes and our understanding of the geologic history of the Pacific Northwest and of the interaction between the Juan de Fuca (oceanic) and North American (continental) plates, we are certain that damaging earth quakes (magnitude 6 or greater) will recur in our area, although we have no way to predict whether this is more likely to be today or years from now.
