Kdun – Double Disaster is the term researchers are now using to describe the looming threat facing the Pacific Northwest a deadly combination of seismic catastrophe and climate change. A new study warns that if the once-in-500-year Cascadia Subduction Zone earthquake, often referred to as “The Big One,” strikes, the devastation alone will be staggering. However, what follows could be even more destructive. The study reveals that rising sea levels, accelerated by global warming, may turn already vulnerable coastal areas into permanent flood zones. This Double Disaster could leave tens of thousands of residents displaced and dramatically reshape the region’s landscape.
The research, conducted by climate scientists and geologists, paints a stark picture of the future. As sea levels rise, the land’s ability to recover post-earthquake diminishes. In some cases, the shaking from the quake will lower land elevations, allowing seawater to encroach even farther inland. Combined with high tides and more frequent storm surges, these effects could render entire towns uninhabitable within decades if not sooner.
The first part of the Double Disaster scenario is the Cascadia Subduction Zone earthquake, which has long been feared by seismologists. Running from Northern California to British Columbia, the fault is capable of producing magnitude 9.0 quakes and devastating tsunamis. In a worst-case event, infrastructure could be crippled, emergency response systems overwhelmed, and coastal communities flattened. But as the study emphasizes, the quake may only be the beginning of the crisis.
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Once the shaking stops, the real test begins. With the landscape altered and emergency resources stretched thin, long-term recovery will be severely hampered by the second blow encroaching seawater. This ongoing flooding could delay rebuilding efforts and permanently change where and how people live in the Pacific Northwest.
The second component of the Double Disaster is the relentless rise of ocean levels. Melting glaciers and warming oceans are driving sea levels to rise by several feet over the next century. However, in areas where earthquakes have already pushed land below sea level, this process could accelerate dramatically. According to the study, some communities could be under water just a few years after a major quake. With others slowly succumbing to frequent, chronic flooding.
Coastal cities, ports, and ecosystems are all at risk. The study calls for urgent action rethinking coastal planning, updating evacuation routes, reinforcing seawalls, and, in some cases. Relocating entire communities. As the Pacific Northwest braces for the inevitable, the message is clear: Double Disaster scenarios are no longer theoretical. They are an emerging reality that demands both preparation and long-term resilience planning.
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