SEATTLE – A tsunami warning that briefly affected parts of southern Oregon and northern California on Thursday led to a spike in searches for “tsunami” in western Washington.

The warning, which was lifted minutes later, was triggered by a magnitude 7.0 earthquake that struck around 10:45 a.m. off the coast of Humboldt County, California

In response to the earthquake, a tsunami warning was issued for the Oregon coast south of Florence, extending to Santa Cruz, California. However, no significant tsunami activity was reported and the warning was subsequently lifted.

Although no warning has ever been issued for the Washington State coast, a study tells us what would happen if a sufficiently strong earthquake resulted in tsunami waves.

Editor’s Note: The following story and video above were originally published on July 5, 2022.

According to a study published in 2022, tsunami waves from a magnitude 7.5 earthquake on the Seattle Fault would take just a few minutes to reach the greater Seattle area.

The Washington State Department of Natural Resources (DNR) released the new study Thursday and urged Seattle residents to be prepared, even though the last known earthquake on the Seattle Fault occurred about 1,100 years ago.

“Although the likelihood of something like this happening in our lifetime is small, it is important for families to prepare now,” said Maximilian Dixon, hazard and outreach program manager for the Washington Emergency Management Division. “The shaking of the ground will be your warning that a tsunami could be on the way. Make sure you know where the nearest high ground is and the quickest way to get there.

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Tsunami waves would reach shore in less than three minutes at many locations on the east side of Bainbridge Island, around Elliott Bay and Alki Point, according to the study prepared by geologists from the DNR’s Washington Geological Survey division.

The study also found that flooding from such a tsunami would be more than 20 feet along Seattle’s coastline. The DNR said the study found that waves in Tacoma Harbor could spread up to 3 miles inland, although flooding would be less than previous studies.

Flooding from the tsunami will be greater near the Seattle Fault, but the new study showed coastal flooding and increased currents throughout the Salish Sea, from Blaine to Olympia.

The earthquake scenario used in the modeling is a “very large, low probability earthquake” of magnitude 7.5 on the Seattle Fault, which runs east-west through Puget Sound and downtown Seattle. According to the DNR, the fault has resulted in several documented earthquakes.

The DNR said the model does not take into account tidal phases or local tsunamis triggered by earthquake-related landslides.

“When we think of tsunamis, we most often think of our outer coasts and communities along the Pacific Ocean. But there is a long history of earthquakes on faults in Puget Sound,” said Hilary Franz, Commissioner of Public Lands. “While the history of earthquakes and tsunamis along the Seattle Fault is less common than the Cascadia Subduction Zone, the impacts could be massive. That’s why it’s important that these communities have the information they need to prepare and respond.”

The study was conducted to assist local and state officials in developing tsunami response and preparedness plans.

The DNR offers many resources for families to be prepared in the event of an earthquake. If an earthquake occurs, the safest option is to eject, hide and hold on, then evacuate to higher ground to get as far inland as possible.

“We will continue to ensure that our Office of Emergency Management – ​​and all of our departments – are best equipped to respond to emergencies and natural disasters, while strengthening our infrastructure and building a resilient city now and into the future,” Seattle said Mayor Bruce Harrell.

The recent earthquake was strong enough to push the beach up 23 feet at Restoration Point on Bainbridge Island and cause the land at Seattle’s West Point to fall 3 feet.

DNR said the next earthquake could create new shorelines in many locations near the fault line.

For more information and resources, visit dnr.wa.gov/tsunami.