On April 13, 1949, a powerful 6.7 magnitude earthquake struck western Washington, causing significant destruction across the region. The quake, which lasted a mere 30 seconds, was felt over an expansive 230,000-square-mile area, with its epicenter located near Joint Base Lewis–McChord.
The devastation was widespread. The earthquake claimed the lives of eight people and left many others injured. In addition to the human toll, the damage to buildings and infrastructure was severe. In Centralia, nearly 40% of homes and businesses were damaged. Groundwater from fractured earth flooded multiple blocks of Puyallup, while Seattle’s Pioneer Square experienced significant destruction, with building facades collapsing onto the streets and cars crushed by debris. Church spires were shaken loose, further adding to the chaos.
According to the United States Geological Survey, Olympia, the state capital, was not spared. Almost every large building suffered some degree of damage, including eight on the Capitol grounds. Chimneys were toppled, and two large smokestacks were brought down. Public utilities were severely disrupted, with broken water and gas mains and interrupted electric and telegraph services.
Tacoma and Seattle saw their own share of devastation, particularly brick buildings and homes situated on filled land. In the aftermath of the earthquake, a 200-foot cliff along Puget Sound collapsed, triggering a tsunami that surged through the narrows and inundated homes along Tacoma’s shoreline.
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The total damage from the 1949 earthquake was estimated at $25 million, which would be equivalent to about $334.5 million in today’s dollars, according to the Washington Military Department. Despite the magnitude of the destruction, the 1949 quake is often overshadowed by more recent seismic events, such as the 1965 and 2001 earthquakes.
Maximilian Dixon, Geologic Hazards Supervisor for the Washington Military Department, reflected in a 2019 interview, saying, “When I talk to people, the 1949 earthquake is often forgotten compared to the 1965 and 2001 quakes, but it was arguably the most damaging of the three.”
On April 29, 1965, another 6.7 magnitude earthquake struck the region, killing seven people and causing an estimated $12.5 million in damages, equivalent to $100.3 million today.
Then, in 2001, the region experienced the infamous Nisqually earthquake, a 6.8 magnitude temblor that injured 400 people and caused more than $2 billion in damage.
The 1949 earthquake remains a sobering reminder of the seismic risks in the Pacific Northwest, even as the memory of more recent quakes continues to dominate local history .
