OLYMPIA — New videos show how a large earthquake could set off tsunamis hitting Washington state's outer coast within 15 minutes, and the Tacoma waterfront within two-and-a-half hours.
Scientists with the Washington State Department of Natural Resources released the modeled simulation videos that show tsunamis started by a magnitude 9.0 earthquake on the Cascadia subduction zone.
The simulations show the estimated height and speed of waves that are expected to reach Washington communities minutes after the next Cascadia earthquake.
The videos show Cascadia tsunami wave simulations for the entire Washington coast, as well as localized views for Bellingham and the San Juan Islands.
The simulations show the first waves reaching the outer coast in about 15 minutes. The tsunami then travels through the Strait of Juan de Fuca and into Puget Sound, reaching the Tacoma waterfront about two hours and 30 minutes after the earthquake.
