Cascadia today: Tsunami arrives in Cascadia + Seattle mayor race is tight + safe supply threatened

After massive Russia quake, tsunami arrives in Cascadia

After a massive 8.8 magnitude earthquake struck the Kamchatcka region of Russia, a tsunami alert was issued for Hawaii, Alaska and the west coast of North America, including some coastal regions of Cascadia. Officials ordered residents to head for higher ground, though the waves that hit places like Crescent City, California caused no damage. A tsunami advisory remains in place for the Oregon and Washington coast and northern California. The subduction-zone quake, which was tied for the sixth-largest ever recorded, is a reminder that a similarly huge quake has a 37 percent chance of happening in Cascadia in the next 50 years. Ten years after Kathryn Schulz wrote a terrifying article for the New Yorker about the devastation a major Cascadia Zone earthquake could have in the Pacific Northwest, she spoke with Willamette Week about the piece:

It did change my behavior. I love the Oregon Coast—I really do. It’s a beautiful place, and I will keep going there. I don’t think I would ever spend the night in a house inside the [tsunami] inundation zone.

Want to get prepared and learn more about a potential Cascadia Zone quake? Oregon State University has a great page of information on how to pack an emergency kit, make a plan, and more. Surviving Cascadia is another good resource page.

Seattle mayor's race in dead heat

As voters make their choices in the Seattle municipal election primary, The Urbanist reports that a a new poll from Northwest Progressive Institute shows a close race for mayor between incumbent Bruce Harrell and transit and union activist Katie Wilson, with votes split at 29% for Harrell and 27% for Wilson. Voters have until Aug 5 to get their ballots returned – the general election is in November. Meanwhile, in Washington state, crime (often a perennial issue in city elections) has dropped 9 percent, according to the Washington State Standard.

BC gov't under fire for greenwashing LNG plant

CBC reports that a $200 million plan to electrify an proposed LNG plant on the coast of northern British Columbia is drawing criticism from the BC Greens and environmental activists saying it amounts to "greenwashing" the floating fossil gas terminal that will be owned by the Haisla Nation. Methane leaks from LNG production are a huge concern for global warming, the Ocean Conservancy notes.

Safe supply system in BC under threat

British Columbia's safer supply system – a harm reduction strategy that gives drug users medically safer alternatives to street drugs such as fentanyl – is threatened now that Mark Carney's federal government is letting the programs expire, CBC reports. Last year, for Cascade PBS, I wrote about BC's safer supply system, which evidence shows helps prevent fatal overdoses.

An exhibit explores commuting in Vancovuer

The Georgia Straight profiles a new exhibit at the Museum of North Vancouver that explores the history of commuting in the city – from canoes to bicycles to light rail. The exhibit runs through March 2026.

--Andrew Engelson