Latest Breaking News
In reply to the discussion: Breaking News: Earthquake measuring 7.0 magnitude strikes Myanmar: USGS [View all]starroute
(12,977 posts)Largely because it had a depth of 32 miles, it was nothing like the Santa Cruz quake. The point isn't semantics -- it's that the magnitude alone doesn't make a quake "devastating."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2001_Nisqually_earthquake
One of the largest recorded earthquakes in Washington state history, it measured 6.8 on the moment magnitude scale and lasted approximately 45 seconds. The epicenter of the earthquake was Anderson Island, about 17 km (11 mi) northeast of Olympia. The focus was at a depth of 52 km (32 mi). Tremors were felt as far away as Scio, Oregon, across the border in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, and 175 mi (282 km) east in Pasco, Washington. There were also reports that it was felt as far away as Spokane, Washington and Sandpoint, Idaho.
About 400 people were injured. Most of the property damage occurred very near the epicenter or in unreinforced concrete or masonry buildings, such as those in the First Hill, Pioneer Square and Sodo neighborhoods of Seattle. The air traffic control tower at Sea-Tac Airport was heavily damaged during the quake; it has since been replaced with a more earthquake-resistant tower. The quake splintered a buttress under the dome of the capitol building in Olympia, however previous earthquake-resistance work prevented more serious harm to the building.[6] Additionally, the earthquake caused power outages in downtown Seattle. The U.S. Military's Ft. Lewis and McChord Air Force Base received damage in the quake. There was very slight damage in Victoria, British Columbia.