California Earthquake: Scientists Predict Quake, Tsunami That Could Kill Tens Of Thousands

A California earthquake with the strength to kill tens of thousands of people and cause $70 billion in damage could be on the way, scientists are predicting.

In a study published last year, scientists said that if a 9.0 earthquake were to strike along the state’s North Coast it would have a devastating effect on the state. They predict that a giant tsunami could wash away entire coastal towns, destroy US 101, and knock out countless bridges.

They believe the California earthquake could strike so quickly that residents across the state would have as little as 15 minutes to prepare, leading to deaths in the tens of thousands.

And the scenario isn’t just hypothetical. The state, which is known for the active San Andreas fault in the southern portion, actually has a much more dangerous zone in the north. The Cascadia subduction zone has the potential to create what scientists call “The Big One,” and that it could come sooner than expected.

“Katrina was a worst case scenario for hurricanes in the gulf. And a Cascadia would be the worst case scenario for tsunamis on the West Coast,” said Paul Whitmore, director of the National Tsunami Warning Center in Alaska.

In the last decade alone the fault line has produced two major earthquakes in California. The first was in 2005, when a 7.2 quake hit outside Crescent City.

The second California earthquake happened just days ago. In Eureka a 6.8 tremor hit this week, followed by at least 12 aftershocks.

Raquel Maytorena, a resident of Ferndale, said it felt like the California earthquake would never end. She told ABC News:

“This lasted longer than any earthquake I’ve ever felt… It just kept going and going, very slowly and softly. It was not violent. It almost felt like you were in a boat that was rocking… The animals, they felt it… My two horses were running around out by the barn, and my dogs… were ready to get out of the house.”

To prepare for the potentially devastating California earthquake, officials in Northern California and Oregon have begun preparing emergency plans. Researchers from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration have also been developing more effective tsunami detectors that could provide earlier information about a wave’s size and speed.