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6 Apocalypse Scenarios That Science Says We're Overdue For

6ApocalypseScenariosThat
ScienceSaysWe'reOverdue
For
By Evan V. Symon | September 12, 2016 | 525,770 views

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As we like to constantly remind everyone, Mother Nature seems to have it out for us.
Earthquakes in California and Japan, hurricanes in the Gulf of Mexico, tornadoes in
the Midwest and everywhere a trailer park can be found -- it's as if nature bingewatched every Roland Emmerich flick and decided to show that poser how
it's really done. And while natural disasters like those tend to come in waves (literally
if it's a tsunami), scientists say many are way overdue for disastrous new sequels.
For example ...

#6. The "Worst Natural Disaster In The History Of

North America" Has A One-In-Three Chance Of
Happening

Alvaro Arroyo/iStock

A bit north of the Bay Area is the start of the Pacific Northwest, home to major cities
like Portland, Seattle, Vancouver, and that other Vancouver no one likes. At first
glance, there doesn't seem to be much wrong here. But don't let all the rain, VooDoo

Doughnuts, and their unhealthy obsession with soccer fool you; they're about to be
screwed big time.
Error! Filename not specified. FEMA
And this time, Californians moving north aren't doing the damage.

That cheerful orange stripe is known as the Cascadia Subduction zone. It's a fault
line, where one part of the Earth enters the other. Most of the time, this happens
smoothly, as if Barry White were playing in the background. But every once in a
while, our douche of a planet likes to get rough and America rejects the incoming
plate. This is called a full-margin rupture, and it's as devastating as it sounds. The
last time that happened was in 1700, and the earthquake was so big that it caused a
giant tsunami that destroyed a bunch of coastal Japan across the ocean.
Error! Filename not specified.National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Meanwhile, Australia wussed out and cowered behind New Guinea.

The Pacific Northwest is all but due for one of these, and it couldn't be more
terrifying. When the next one happens, at roughly around a 9.0 (re: very bad) on the
Richter scale, cities like Vancouver, Seattle, and Portland are in for what's been
described as the worst natural disaster in the history of North America. FEMA
projects 13,000 dying, one million homeless, and 2.5 million needing food.
Or roughly five to six Katrinas. And that's not even counting Canada.
The current chances of a big earthquake happening there are one in three, while a
giant, apocalyptic earthquake is at ten to one. Some good odds, assuming you're a
complete psycho who bets on human misery.

#5. San Francisco's Hayward Fault Gets An

Earthquake Every 140 Years ... And It's Been 148
Since The Last One
Error! Filename not specified. Hulton Collection via Getty Images
As we've previously told you, San Francisco is way overdue for a major earthquake.
FEMA and geologists alike are expecting it any day now. That may sound like a vain

promise a la "You'll never regret investing in my vegan deli!" but the science checks
out. San Francisco should be in ruins right about now.
Error! Filename not specified.U.S. Geological Survey
As well as pretty much every major tech company's headquarters you can think of besides Microsoft.

It all comes down to something called the Hayward Fault. Going back to the first
Hayward earthquake recorded, from 1315, it's been found that the average time
between big shakeups is 140 years. Since the last big Hayward rumble was in 1868,
that means we're eight years overdue for new one. Every year that passes means
the chance for a gigantic earthquake only increases. It's like having no one winning
the lotto for a bigger jackpot the next day -- only instead of seeing the cash increase
on a distracting billboard, you see the casualty increase on a depressing
spreadsheet.
Thousands of buildings destroyed, rampant looters, no water, thousands dead, and,
um, a surprisingly intact subway system are all but a few things that are predicted in
the case of such an earthquake. The most conservative reports estimate the
damages at $165 billion (which will also be the budget of the inevitable "based on a
true story" bullshit movie a few years later).
Error! Filename not specified.United States Geological Survey
Keep in mind, this is what a "not too bad" earthquake did to the area in 1989.

Currently, an Oakland-wrecking quake in the next 30 years is at 14.4 percent, but

that's up from 13.2 percent only seven years before. And it will keep going up. For
those of you visiting San Francisco in the near future, be sure to visit the Golden
Gate bridge and buy that famous sourdough bread, because it soon may doing its
own version of Extreme Home Makeover: Earth Edition.

#4. The Southern U.S. Is Long Overdue For

Massive Hurricanes
Error! Filename not specified.Harvepino/iStock
The American South is known for lots of things. The Allman Brothers. Pound cake.
White seersucker suits. Being way behind the curve on numerous social issues. And

yes, hurricanes. But as often as hurricanes like to gallivant around in the South, a
huge number of Southern cities have avoided being hit by a massive one in many,
many decades.
Statistically speaking, this is terrifying.
Error! Filename not specified. Milt Klingensmith/MLive
Even hurricanes try to stay out of Florida.

The odd northern city like Boston fits into this category, but when you pan to the
South, a disturbing string of overdue cities becomes apparent. Somehow, the
southern Georgia / northern Florida area hasbeaten the odds 92 times in a row and
counting. In some cities, it's actually been more than a century without a significant
hurricane touching down. As anyone who has won a roulette game over 100 times
and decided to keep playing knows, this is tempting fate.
In places like Tampa, which hasn't been hit by a major hurricane since 1921, this
means most of the buildings have never been hurricane-tested, going solely on the
belief of "If it survived in the state of Florida for five years without being destroyed,
it's built to last." Jacksonville is similar, not being slammed by a hurricane since the
1800s. Most people in these areas don't really know what to do when it does happen.
This all spells disaster for the state. So if you absolutely must go there, it can't hurt
to look up which old buildings survived the last mega-hurricane -- you'd probably be
safer there than in some fancy new condo.
Error! Filename not specified.St. Petersburg Times
For Tampa, this basically means the city hall and the yacht club -- places where everyone is included.

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