FAQ Answer

When will the next tsunami from an earthquake in the Juan de Fuca subduction zone occur?

We don’t know. Tsunami-causing earthquakes occur somewhere in the world at least once a year, and really big ones happen once a decade or two. Geologists estimate that tsunami-causing earthquakes in the Juan de Fuca subduction zone occur once every 200 to 1000 years. It’s been over 300 years since the last big earthquake off the coast of the Pacific Northwest – so the next tsunami could happen today or maybe not until the year 2700 or beyond!