Port of Seattle
The Seattle Times reported this week that experts are pointing to the recent earthquake in New Zealand as a reminder of what could happen in Seattle:
… Nor has Seattle or the Port of Seattle rebuilt sea walls to prevent parts of the central waterfront and Harbor Island from sliding into the water during a quake.The city is planning an estimated $300 million replacement of the central waterfront sea wall, with funds potentially coming from the Army Corps of Engineers, King County Flood District and city taxes.
Although the Port seismically strengthened Terminal 91 for cruise ships, it doesn’t have a plan to prevent underwater landslides at its container-shipping terminals.
Dakota Chamberlain, director of seaport project management, said he wasn’t aware of the 2005 Seattle Fault study that said a slide could put parts of the Port out of business for months.