Geologists are sounding the alarm over a looming natural disaster that could devastate the U.S. West Coast — a massive earthquake followed by a "doomsday tsunami" triggered along the Cascadia Subduction Zone, which stretches from Canada to Northern California.
A recent scientific study predicts with near certainty that a powerful earthquake will occur along this fault line by the year 2100, with a **37% chance** it may happen within the next **50 years**. The Cascadia zone is one of the most dangerous seismic regions on Earth, where the Juan de Fuca tectonic plate slides beneath the North American plate.
This anticipated quake, estimated at a magnitude between **8.0 and 9.0**, could cause the land to suddenly sink by **up to 8 feet (2.4 meters)**, unleashing a tsunami towering as high as **100 feet (30 meters)** that could strike the coast within minutes.
According to FEMA, such an event could lead to the **deaths of 13,800 people**, including **5,800 from the quake** and **8,000 from the tsunami**, along with the destruction or damage of over **618,000 buildings**, including schools and critical infrastructure, with **economic losses exceeding \$134 billion**.
But the danger won’t stop there. The study warns that the tsunami could permanently reshape the West Coast’s landscape, expanding flood zones by **115 square miles**, putting thousands of homes and key facilities at risk. In the worst-case scenario, flood zones could **double**, threatening vast areas of Washington, Oregon, and California with **permanent inundation**.
**Professor Tina Dura**, lead researcher from Virginia Tech, emphasized:
*"This would be an extremely catastrophic event. It’s not just a quake or tsunami—we’re talking about a long-term transformation of the coastline. What usually takes centuries of sea level rise could happen in mere minutes."*
Historical records show that the last major quake along Cascadia struck on **January 26, 1700**, with a magnitude of **9.0**, generating a devastating tsunami that wiped out an entire village in British Columbia.
Scientists stress that major quakes in this region occur **every 400–600 years**, and with over **325 years already passed**, the threat is growing—and time is running out.
The study was published in the *Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences*.
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