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Internet infra won't be even close to a concern in the big one. I mean sure you've got some 911 infra and first responder stuff tied into that, and they have some backup radios, towers, and generators.

But it won't matter when there's a life-threatening situation on every block. Unchecked fires with no water lines to put them out. Trains & trucks unable to get in or out with provisions, overwhelmed hospitals, zero police presence. You'll have to drive from downtown Portland to Salem in order to cross the Willamette, and I have no idea what'll happen to the I-5 corridor.

PNW has been proactive in enforcing its code on big buildings/new construction, and kudos to them. But if you live in the area, be prepared to leave and not come back for a long time.

Source: father is a lifelong building inspector in one of the larger PNW cities. They've been wargaming this stuff for decades, and it ain't pretty even in best-case scenarios.



> Unchecked fires with no water lines to put them out.

What are modern building materials like at large scale ? Are firestorms a possibility ?




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