5 ms·

That New Yorker article goes viral every few years - it's a well written piece and spins a great yarn, but there's some significant hyperbole and it's sources d

That New Yorker article goes viral every few years - it's a well written piece and spins a great yarn, but there's some significant hyperbole and it's sources don't quite back up the claims. Yes, a 9.x will be devastating. No, everything west of i-5 will not be toast.

diogenes4 3y ago
> it's sources don't quite back up the claims. I'll admit that FEMA isn't exactly cited in a way that's possible to corroborate, but presumably they're estimating a worst-case scenario and not a median- or average-case scenario. That might explain some of the large divorce in figures.
- adrianpike 3y ago
  I'd love to find any actual FEMA publications that back up some of the numbers and claims - so far to the best I can tell is it's mostly from interviews with the regional director, which, while valuable, isn't quite at the level of citation I'd like. If anyone's got a PDF I'd love to retract all my critiques though. :)
rnk 3y ago
Good thing I'm 10 miles east from that road of doom, I'm sure I'll be safe ;-).
- JieJie 3y ago
  You gotta worry about lahars. :)
  - rnk 3y ago
    Not where I am. Mt Rainier can't reach me but maybe the mountains of Mordor could spring up? Maybe a new volcano, would take a while to build up. An earthquake can get me, I'm by one of the freshwater lakes, so there's possible water action that could get me. But probably the land is terrible by the lake, could subside, and then a wave of water will crush and then drown me.
    - JieJie 3y ago
      Let us hope if it comes to that, you will be safe somehow.
- karaterobot 3y ago
  I'm 10 blocks east, should be fine too. Even if the earthquake somehow gets a couple blocks past I-5 (can't see how that could happen) I'd still have 7-8 blocks as a safety cushion.
  - bespokedevelopr 3y ago
    One issue though is all the Seattle hospitals are right along I5 so your house might be fine but it’s going to be a disaster for anyone who needs medical care.
- seattle_spring 3y ago
  "East of I-5, lucky to be alive"
  - rnk 3y ago
    That song just wants to write itself.

diogenes4 3y ago

> it's sources don't quite back up the claims. I'll admit that FEMA isn't exactly cited in a way that's possible to corroborate, but presumably they're estimating a worst-case scenario and not a median- or average-case scenario. That might explain some of the large divorce in figures.

adrianpike 3y ago
I'd love to find any actual FEMA publications that back up some of the numbers and claims - so far to the best I can tell is it's mostly from interviews with the regional director, which, while valuable, isn't quite at the level of citation I'd like. If anyone's got a PDF I'd love to retract all my critiques though. :)

rnk 3y ago

Good thing I'm 10 miles east from that road of doom, I'm sure I'll be safe ;-).

JieJie 3y ago
You gotta worry about lahars. :)
- rnk 3y ago
  Not where I am. Mt Rainier can't reach me but maybe the mountains of Mordor could spring up? Maybe a new volcano, would take a while to build up. An earthquake can get me, I'm by one of the freshwater lakes, so there's possible water action that could get me. But probably the land is terrible by the lake, could subside, and then a wave of water will crush and then drown me.
  - JieJie 3y ago
    Let us hope if it comes to that, you will be safe somehow.
karaterobot 3y ago
I'm 10 blocks east, should be fine too. Even if the earthquake somehow gets a couple blocks past I-5 (can't see how that could happen) I'd still have 7-8 blocks as a safety cushion.
- bespokedevelopr 3y ago
  One issue though is all the Seattle hospitals are right along I5 so your house might be fine but it’s going to be a disaster for anyone who needs medical care.
seattle_spring 3y ago
"East of I-5, lucky to be alive"
- rnk 3y ago
  That song just wants to write itself.