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Roger's Home Journal
Roger's Home JournalRegion Braces for Seismic Terrier Attack
By Roger Faris
Dec 06, 2001 -- The Cascadia Regional Earthquake Workgroup (CREW) just completed a conference titled "The Business of Earthquakes--What We Learned From The Nisqually Earthquake." The attendees were presented with detailed analyses of how the February 28 shaking caused more than $350 million in business interruption, damage to commercial and public structures, and thousands of damaged chimneys. All of this was the result of a moderate earthquake. Earth scientists predict that a more serious seismic event will eventually hit our region. This has motivated business, engineering, government, and other experts to work hard to promote disaster preparedness and mitigation measures. They make a convincing case that these efforts will help us to survive natural or man-made disasters. To learn more about the important work of the CREW, visit the www.crew.org website.It was inevitable that someone at the conference would bring up the subject of terror attacks, bio-terror, and other related issues. It was unsettling, though, to hear a new term: geo-terror. I'm fairly certain that the Earth doesn't intend to frighten or harm us, even though it can sometimes do both. Earthquakes are just a force of nature, like a powerful wind, big waves on the ocean, or a large, untrained puppy. Still, we can and must take thoughtful actions to reduce their potential to cause us serious harm. This will make us less afraid, and less likely to panic during an emergency. I don't want to believe that the next earthquake is out to get me. I might prefer to regard it as a sort of unruly seismic canine creature, chomping on his tectonic dog dish and shaking it for no particular reason.
Three breeds of this so-called "best friend" have left their mark on this region. One is the enormous Cascadia Subduction Hound, which likes to romp about 50 miles offshore between northern California and British Columbia. If you're near the water and hear someone calling "Tsunami!" you'll want to head for high ground immediately. When this big Fido shakes you can get really wet.
The Benioff Bow Wow is an amazing mutt. He will sometimes bury a bone almost 40 miles beneath the surface, and return about 30 years later to dig it up. Some owners attempt to chain these creatures to an epicenter, but they frequently break loose and litter our yards with s-waves, p-waves, liquefaction, and landslides. There's apparently a misguided breeder somewhere in the Nisqually area.
The worst of the bad dogs is the Wild Hair Crustal Terrier. They're fairly small, but believed to have very sharp teeth. This animal is considered dangerous because it can occasionally snap its leash, causing very strong ground motion. Although no one around here has witnessed this for about 1,000 years, a spectacular trail of earth surface rupture and vertical displacement, from Bremerton all the way to Issaquah, has us all quite concerned. I suppose it's only human to point an accusing finger, but why is this problem called the Seattle Fault? Don't we all have cracks? And haven't we all harbored terriers at some time?
Roger Faris is the director of the Phinney Neighborhood Association Well Home Program and Project Impact Earthquake Retrofit Program. He can be reached at (206) 789-4993.
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