The 6.8-magnitude Nisqually earthquake caused $1–4 billion in property damage across the Puget Sound region, making it one of the costliest seismic events in Pacific Northwest history.
Key Facts
- Moment Magnitude
- 6.8
- Max Mercalli Intensity
- VIII (Severe)
- Property Damage
- $1–4 billion USD
- Deaths
- 1 (heart attack)
- Duration
- Nearly 1 minute
- Depth Type
- Intraslab earthquake
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
The Nisqually earthquake was an intraslab event originating within the subducting Juan de Fuca plate beneath the Puget Sound region. The area sits within a tectonically active zone that has produced several large earthquakes over a 52-year period, reflecting ongoing subduction stress in the Pacific Northwest.
On February 28, 2001, at 10:54 local time, a magnitude 6.8 earthquake struck the southern Puget Sound, with its epicenter northeast of Olympia, Washington. Lasting nearly a minute, the shock was felt across Washington, Oregon, British Columbia, and Idaho, reaching a maximum Mercalli intensity of VIII.
The earthquake caused property damage estimated between $1 billion and $4 billion. One person died of a heart attack attributed to the event, and several hundred people were injured. The disaster highlighted ongoing seismic risk in the Puget Sound region and prompted renewed attention to earthquake preparedness in the Pacific Northwest.
Human Cost
Each dot represents approximately 10,000 deaths. Total estimated: 1 (earthquake)