There are no contemporaneous written records of the 1700 Cascadia earthquake . Orally transmitted legends from the Olympic Peninsula area tell of an epic battle between a thunderbird and a whale . In 2005 , seismologist Ruth Ludwin set out to collect and analyze anecdotes from various First Nations groups . Reports from the Huu-ay-aht , Makah , Hoh , Quileute , Yurok , and Duwamish peoples referred to earthquakes and saltwater floods . This collection of data allowed the researchers to come up with an estimated date range for the event ; the midpoint was in the year 1701
1700 Cascadia earthquake
1700 Cascadia earthquake
Cascadia subduction zone