OLYMPIA, Wash. — The Department of Natural Resources released new tsunami evacuation maps on Friday so residents living along the coast can plan their route before a tsunami hits and know how long it will take to evacuate by foot.
A tsunami can follow an earthquake within 10 to 15 minutes along the Cascadia subduction zone, which stretches from northern Vancouver, Canada, to northern California. The new evacuation maps were released in conjunction with three new simulation video sets for the central Washington coast that show the depth of on-land flooding after a magnitude 9.0 earthquake and tsunami.
It has been 323 years since the last Cascadia earthquake, and a megaquake happens about every 300 to 600 years. In 1700, geologic records show the tsunami that year hit all of the Pacific Northwest and traveled as far west as Japan.
The newly released evacuation walk times include these coastal areas:
“In the event of a tsunami, nothing is more important than knowing where to go to be safe and how long it will take to get there," said Commissioner of Public Lands Hilary Franz in a statement. "That is why our geologists are doing the vital work of making this life-saving information easily accessible for everyone who lives, works, or plays along Washington’s coast.”
According to the Department of Natural Resources, if you are near the ocean or in Puget Sound as soon as a large earthquake hits or tsunami warning sounds, evacuate to higher ground.