Oregon Celebrates Cascade Subduction Zone Earthquake Anniversary

Wednesday, January 27, 2016

GoLocalPDX News Team

The Oregon Department of Geology and Minerals kicked off a campaign to recognize the 316th anniversary of the last major earthquake in the cascade subduction zone.

The Pacific Northwest was hit hard by the January 26, 1700 Cascadia Subduction Zone earthquake and tsunami, which had impacts as far away as Japan. Geological evidence indicates that similar great earthquakes have occurred at least seven times in the past 3,500 years, reoccurring on average every 300 to 600 years.

Beginning on Tuesday, federal and state emergency managers joined regional universities and government science agencies to host a weeklong social media campaign for the 316th anniversary of the 1700 Cascadia Subduction Zone earthquake and tsunami.

The campaign will include events on Twitter and Facebook thought the week using the #CascadiaEQ. The events are designed to point audiences towards local, state, and federal resources that will help them understand and prepare for future earthquakes.