In the next 30 years, California has a 99.7% chance of a magnitude-6.7 or higher earthquake, and the Pacific Northwest has a 10% chance of a magnitude-8 to -9 mega-thrust Cascadia subduction-zone quake, says the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.
Just a few seconds of warning could save thousands of lives and billions of dollars in damages, but seismically vulnerable areas in California, Washington and Oregon remain without adequate alert systems, says John Parrish, California state geologist. “The technology exists, but it’s not quite ready for prime time, mostly because of funding,” he notes.