If the LA wildfires have taught us anything, it’s that disaster is no longer a question of if, but when. Now, northwest of the fire-damaged areas lies an even deadlier force of nature—the Cascadia Subduction Zone. For centuries, tension has been building beneath the Pacific Northwest. Experts warn this sleeping giant could unleash a magnitude 9.0 earthquake. The aftermath? A tsunami capable of obliterating coastal towns, crippling Washington, Oregon, and Northern California, and leaving millions stranded.

In 1700, this fault line created ‘ghost forests’ of millions of dead trees and tsunamis that crossed the Pacific. Today, the stakes are higher than ever, with lives and hundreds of millions of dollars in infrastructure on the line. Is the Cascadia Megaquake closer than we think?