Who Recalls Largest Earthquake Ever Felt In Washington State?

Discovering the Source of Washington State’s Most Powerful Earthquake

I remember my first earthquake experience in Washington State. It was the summer of 96 and I had just moved to Seattle.

Exploring the Identity of the Largest Earthquake Ever Experienced in Washington State

I remember the rumbling and shaking and because I was from the east side of the state, I hadn’t experienced an earthquake before. It was a weird sensation for sure

The biggest earthquake in recent years in Washington State is the 2001 Nisqually earthquake, it stands out as one of the largest earthquakes to ever shake the state.

This intraslab earthquake had a moment magnitude of 6.8 and was felt across several states in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States.

The 2001 Nisqually earthquake occurred at 10:54:32 local time on February 28, 2001, lasting nearly a minute.

The epicenter of this quake was in the southern Puget Sound, northeast of Olympia.

While the shock was mostly felt in Washington State, its impact reached far beyond state borders with people reporting feeling it in Oregon, British Columbia, eastern Washington, and Idaho.

This earthquake caused widespread damage throughout much of western Washington with property damage valued at $1-4 billion.

However, despite this immense destruction caused by the quake itself and subsequent aftershocks that followed over several months, only one person died from a heart attack due to stress from the event.

Several hundred people were injured due to building collapses and falling debris during the earthquake.

A majority of these injuries were minor and did not require hospitalization but some were more severe with broken bones or head injuries.

The 2001 Nisqually earthquake remains a significant event in Washington State’s history due to its magnitude and widespread impact.

Do you remember the 2001 Nisqually Earthquake?

Share some memories in the comments below