The threat of a major earthquake striking Seattle has been in the news recently in part due to The New Yorker article on the subject, leaving many people worrying about when “the big one” will hit. The area is actually well overdue for a major earthquake and there is a 10 to 15 percent chance that a significant one of magnitude 9 or greater will occur in the Pacific Northwest in the next 50 years. Such a seismic event has the potential of destroying everything to the west of the I-5 between Seattle and Portland, leaving the entire area, and its 7 million inhabitants, in very rough shape. The Pacific Northwest Seismic Network provides up to the minute record of seismic events that occur in Washington and Oregon.
What is rarely talked about in the news, however, are the over 300 smaller earthquakes that occur in the region annually. Many of these events are not even noticed by people in the area, as they are either located well below the surface or take place in sparsely populated parts of the state. Very few of these earthquakes reach 3.0 on the Richter scale, so the damage is minimal, as well.
A major earthquake would be the result of the Juan de Fuca plate and the North American tectonic plate correcting themselves once the pressure between them becomes too great. Currently, these two plates are pressing against each other with tremendous force and, eventually, they will have to spring back. Smaller earthquakes, while also caused by a shifting of the earth’s plates, don’t contain the same amount of pressure and, therefore, contain less force.
Why You Should Care About Minor Earthquakes
Although these small earthquakes are relatively minor events in the grand scheme of things, and occur thousands of times throughout the year in the United States alone, they can still do some damage around your home. For example, even a small shifting of the earth could damage the pipes in your yard, causing them to crack or break.
Your Seattle sewer and gas lines are of particular importance, as having them leak could not only do significant damage to your property, but it could also lead to health problems for you and your family. Every home in the area has these pipes and if a bunch of them were to break at once, the damage could become catastrophic. Luckily, if you do end up with a broken pipe, you have a number of different repair options at your disposal.
Having Your Pipes Repaired
Depending on the types of pipes that you have in your yard, they could be very susceptible to breakage during a minor earthquake. Older pipes that are made from clay are particularly brittle and could easily crack and break anytime the earth shifts. Plastic pipes can also be very brittle and should be checked out if you are made aware of a small earthquake occurring in your area.
In some situations, you can go ahead with a sewer pipe repair in Seattle when you run into this issue. In other situations, your only option might be a Seattle pipe replacement. It all depends on the level of damage and how susceptible these pipes will be to breaking again.
Looking at Your Sewer Lines
Your sewer line is another thing that you’ll want to keep an eye on after any sort of seismic activity. There are some warning signs that your sewer line in Seattle is broken that you can watch out for that will give you a better chance of catching the problem before it becomes serious.
For starters, keep an ear out for gurgling noises coming from your toilet or sewer water backing up into your toilet after you flush. You might also notice that your bathtub or sinks don’t drain properly or that a strange odor has suddenly appeared in your yard or basement.
If you run into this problem, you might need to have your Seattle sewer line replaced. Luckily, this is an easy job for a professional, as once the location of the leak is found, they can do the job without even digging up your yard.
