Earthquake experts urge preparation, more study of quake danger

SEATTLE -- In schools and office buildings across the state Thursday morning, more than 1 million people practiced "drop, cover and hold on" for the annual earthquake drill known as the Great Washington ShakeOut.

But experts say more needs to be done to protect lives and buildings.

The state Department of Natural Resources has asked state lawmakers for $540,000 in next year's supplemental budget for an earthquake study.

DNR State Geologist Dave Norman explained that the money would help improve maps of earthquake and tsunami danger zones.

It would also offer more analysis on how safe our schools and buildings are during major earthquakes.

“We've done about 90 schools. So far and there are several thousand schools that need to be evaluated for seismic safety,” said Norman. “that entails visiting, doing site specific investigation at each school, doing a structural engineering analysis of the building.”

Norman says after the analysis, decisions will be made on what school should be retrofitted or repaired.

Washington is the only state on the West Coast that hasn't done that critical analysis of its schools and buildings. State quake experts say that’s because of the lack of funding.

Many quake experts say the earthquake danger is real.

“There's a high likelihood that we will be shaken by an earthquake like the (2001) Nisqually earthquake --- an 84 percent chance in the next 50 years,” said Paul Bodin, the director of Pacific Northwest Seismic Network. “There’s a 15 percent chance that we will experience in the next 50 years a large mega-thrust like magnitude 9 earthquake on the coast.”

But, he reiterates, “It’s important to be prepared and not scared. Earthquakes are a threat. But if you are prepared, we can live through them just fine.”