20 Years Ago, A Strong Earthquake Shook Western Washington

Twenty years ago on February 28, the largest earthquake to shake the Pacific Northwest since the 1960s rattled the region.

Dubbed the Nisqually earthquake, it took less than a minute to leave billions of dollars of damage and nearly 400 people injured, according to sources. In Western Washington, some buildings were seriously damaged along with roads and bridges. One person reportedly died from a heart attack after the quake.

Reporters said the 2001 quake had a magnitude of 6.8 and struck a fault more than 35 miles under the Nisqually Delta, 11 miles north of Olympia.

"The worst damage was in downtown Olympia, including the state capitol and to Pioneer Square in Seattle. Tacoma was largely spared," KING 5 wrote. "The quake was felt as far away as southern British Columbia, central Oregon and northwestern Montana, according to the U.S. Geological Survey."

The Nisqually quake was considered a "moderate" one, according to Bille Steele, the communicators director of the Pacific Northwest Seismic Network. Larger ones are be expected from the Cascadia Subduction Zone off the Pacific Coast or the Seattle Fault.

The last major earthquake to strike the Seattle area before 2001 was the 1965 Puget Sound quake, where three people died from falling debris and four more suffered fatal heart failure, according to reporters. Damages were estimated at about $12.5 million.

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