A major earthquake along a West Coast fault could have catastrophic consequences across coastal Washington, Oregon and northern California. Running offshore from northern California to British Columbia, the Cascadia subduction zone marks the boundary where the Juan de Fuca plate dives under the North American plate. It’s also capable of producing one of the most powerful earthquakes on Earth. … According to the study published Monday in the PNAS scientific journal, a quake of that scale today would drastically increase coastal flood risk. Unlike gradual climate-driven sea level rise, this earthquake-driven sea level rise will happen within minutes, leaving no time for adaptation or mitigation, the study said. Flood risk could then persist for decades or longer. 

Related articles:

• Scientific American: How worried should people be about a monster quake and California flooding?
• Redheaded Blackbelt (Humboldt, Calif.): Cal Poly Humboldt research helps reveal rising flood risk in Pacific Northwest