Here in the Pacific Northwest they tell us we are overdue for a 9.0 subduction zone earthquake.  They had one in Japan and we know how that worked  out and there was another in Chile today.

A major earthquake of magnitude 8.2 struck off the coast of Chile on Tuesday, triggering a tsunami that hit the northern part of the country, but the government reported no deaths or serious damage.

The U.S. Geological Survey said the quake was shallow at 12.5 miles below the seabed and struck about 100 km northwest of the mining port of Iquique near the Peruvian border.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said the quake generated a large tsunami with the biggest wave reported at 2.3 meters. The Chilean navy said the first big wave hit the coast within 45 minutes.

The government said it had no reports of significant damage to coastal areas, but around 300 prisoners took advantage of the confusion and escaped from a jail in Iquique, Interior Minister Rodrigo Penailillo said.

We are not prepared for such an event here in the Pacific Northwest but I don’t really know how you could realistically prepare for something so catastrophic. Yes, they have codes for new construction and bridges have been upgraded but such an event will reek havoc on infrastructure which would take months if not years to repair.