One of the ways we can find original angles for a news event is to think about what we ourselves would like to know about the event. When natural disasters strike, for example, everyone's first thoughts, of course, go toward the victims. What is the scale of the catastrophe and how can we help? As we read more and more about the devastation and see photos and video of the aftermath, no matter what the cause, we start to wonder if it could happen here? Am I at risk? That's only natural.
In the case of the devastating Japanese earthquake in March of 2011, there were actually two interconnected disasters, three if you count the resulting nuclear power plant radiation leaks. The earthquake itself triggered a massive tsunami that washed entire villages out to sea with just a few minutes warning.
The east coast of the United States has been spared from disasters like these although it does face hurricane risks each year. Have we just been lucky, or is the east coast relatively immune from these kinds of cataclysmic events? I spoke an expert in plate tectonics and geological science to find out.
Dr. James Tull, a professor of geological sciences at Florida State University, explains the risk and history of major earthquakes in areas of the United States away from the well-know west coast fault lines: Q&A: Earthquake risk in the eastern United States.
Dr. Tull also discusses the risk of major tsunami damage in the United States, including the west coast:
Could a catastrophic tsunami hit the United States?
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