A huge earthquake could hit parts of the U.S. soon for the first time in over 300 years, potentially triggering catastrophic infrastructure damage, displacement,
And skyrocketing hospital costs due to trauma care, emergency diagnostic imaging, and chronic illness management needs in the aftermath.
A new study has looked into the possibility of an earthquake greater than 8.0 magnitude hitting the Pacific Northwest in the coming years, and the results are pretty concerning.
The findings by researchers from Virginia Tech were published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences last month.
The study revealed that an earthquake could occur along the Cascadia subduction zone — a 600-mile convergent plate boundary that extends from northern California to southern British Columbia.
In such scenarios, victims could face extreme injury rehabilitation costs, mental health wellness services, and potential long-term care insurance claims due to displacement or permanent injury.
Apparently, this part of the U.S. has a 15 percent chance of experiencing an earthquake greater than 8.0 magnitude in the next 50 years. That means thousands of individuals and families may face.
