As seen in the 1700 quake , the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake , and the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami , subduction zone earthquakes can cause large tsunamis , and many coastal areas in the region have prepared tsunami evacuation plans in anticipation of a possible future Cascadia earthquake . However , the major nearby cities , notably Seattle , Portland , Vancouver , Victoria , and Tacoma , which are located on inland waterways rather than on the coast , would be sheltered from the full brunt of a tsunami . These cities do have many vulnerable structures , especially bridges and unreinforced brick buildings ; consequently , most of the damage to the cities would probably be from the earthquake itself . One expert asserts that buildings in Seattle are vastly inadequate even to withstand an event of the size of the 1906 San Francisco earthquake , let alone any more powerful one
1906 San Francisco earthquake
1906 San Francisco earthquake
1700 Cascadia earthquake