Living in the Cascadia Subduction Zone

Life in the Cascadia Subduction Zone has been eerily quiet for awhile and as evidenced by recent conversations with the people that live here, it has lulled its inhabitants into a false sense of security. The Pacific Northwest is a unique and beautiful landscape with a population that is continually rising. As the population of cities like Tacoma rise, it is important for people to remember that the beautiful and majestic views of Mount Rainier have a dark side.

As it turns out, every so often parts of Mount Rainier give way unexpectedly causing enormous amounts of mud and debris to surge into the river valleys below. Perhaps it takes a disaster like the one at Mount St. Helens back on May 18, 1980 to remind residents about the risks and dangers associated with these beautiful volcanoes. Modern day Tacoma suburbs sit on top of deposits formed from catastrophic mudflows from Mount Rainier. While the mountain is electronically monitored for these mudflows, known as lahars, that doesn't solve the problem of how such a huge population will get out of the way when it occurs. Residents of this area know that our roads are frequently choked with congestion and that traffic sort of oozes rather than flowing freely from point A to point B. If you add a bunch of extra cars that are filled with panicked drivers trying to figure out how to get out of the way of a mountain of mud and debris that is headed towards them, you have the makings of a horrific disaster.

The Osceola Mudflow, which occurred 5,600 years ago, left deposits that cover an area of about 550 square kilometers in the Puget Sound lowlands. The city of Kent, a suburb of Seattle, sits on deposits from this mudflow as well as the Port of Tacoma._¹ Much like the recent disasters in Indonesia, Haiti, and Chile, these events don't happen often, but it isn't a question of "if", but a matter of "when". Residents of this area need to know the volcano evacuation routes and to have a plan in place for when the time comes. If you live in one of these areas, it is a good idea to put together a "bug out bag", a bag that has copies of important documents and prescriptions that you can grab in a hurry on your way out the door. It's not a bad idea to have a change of clothes in the bag as well as some basic necessities for you and your family members. It's also important to have a plan for your pets in the event of a disaster.

We live in one of the most beautiful parts of the country, but that beauty comes with a price tag. It's important to recognize the dangers and risks associated with living here and to have a plan for yourself and your family. The time to make those plans is right now, not after the disaster strikes. Taking a little bit of time to organize a plan now will save you precious minutes and possibly your life.

1 - Source: USGS - http://vulcan.wr.usgs.gov/Volcanoes/Rainier/Lahars/Historical/description_osceola.html