Image by Markus Spiske.
The recent news that North America and Hawaii are facing a ticking time bomb is disconcerting.
Scientists are warning that the Cascadia Subduction Zone, stretching from Northern California to British Columbia, could unleash a magnitude 9.0 earthquake, triggering a tsunami with waves up to 100 feet high. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) estimates such an event could kill 13,800 people and injure over 100,000, making it potentially the worst natural disaster in modern U.S. history. Coastal cities and towns along the Pacific Northwest would be inundated, infrastructure would collapse, and ecosystems – already stressed by climate change – would face immense devastation.
We should be even further alarmed by recent moves by the Trump administration that undermine the United States’ ability to monitor and respond to natural disasters including earthquakes, tsunamis, and volcanic eruptions. There are not just theoretical threats; they are real and pose a potentially catastrophic threat that could devastate entire communities, kill thousands, and exacerbate the impact of climate change.
The problem is that the Trump administration is busily engaged in cutting staffing and implementing budget restrictions at key agencies like the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). This is a reckless gamble with environmental stability, not to mention human lives.
This is alarming.
The USGS and NOAA are essential to America’s ability to manage major natural disaster monitoring systems. The USGS oversees earthquake and volcano monitoring, including the ShakeAlert early warning system, while NOAA manages tsunami detection and solar storm forecasting. These agencies rely on highly trained scientists and technicians who operate 24/7 monitoring centers, maintain seismographs, and upgrade critical software. However, Trump’s destructive staffing cuts are gutting these programs and rendering the US dangerously exposed and unprepared.
In addition to staffing issues, scientists cannot maintain essential equipment thanks to Trump’s spending restrictions which create major bureaucratic hurdles. Seismographs along the West Coast, deep ocean sensors for tsunami detection, and monitors for volcanic tremors are all aging and require regular maintenance, but the Trump administration is preventing their upkeep, endangering ecosystems and lives.
If the ShakeAlert system, which warns of tsunamis, is not maintained, there is no doubt thousands of believe will die as a result in the event of a major catastrophe.
When placed within the context of climate change, the budget cuts and staff changes at these agencies are unsettling. We know that global warming can trigger earthquakes, tsunamis, and volcanic eruptions by altering the Earth’s crust through melting ice caps and rising sea levels. For instance, the 2022 Tonga volcanic eruption, which generated a global tsunami, underscored the need for robust monitoring of non-seismogenic tsunamis. The systems we have today are ill-equipped to handle these types of events and further funding is required – but Trump is preventing this.
Climate change also exacerbates the impact of disasters on ecosystems. Tsunamis easily destroy coastal habitats, disrupt marine ecosystems, and release pollutants into waterways. Volcanic eruptions, like Kilauea’s ongoing activity, release ash and gases that degrade air quality and contribute to atmospheric warming. Earthquakes are known to trigger landslides that smother rivers and forests, further destabilizing ecosystems already strained by rising temperatures and extreme weather.
By cutting staff and funding for disaster monitoring, the Trump administration is prioritizing short-term political gains over long-term public safety and ecological health. These actions align with a familiar pattern we see of climate denialism by conservatives. Trump’s policies have rolled back emissions standards and he withdrew from international climate agreements. Trump’s message is clear: science is expendable, and the risks of natural disasters are someone else’s problem.
This isn’t just stupid – it’s dangerous.
The Pacific Northwest is densely populated and has critical infrastructure. America cannot afford to lose its early warning system for this region. Coastal communities will bear the brunt of these failures, and they are in grave danger of being wiped out. The human and economic toll would be staggering.
We must sound the alarm on this reckless dismantling of America’s disaster preparedness. We cannot allow the Trump administration to place lives and ecosystems in danger for the sake of political convenience.
We must pressure Congress to restore funding to USGS and NOAA programs and we must advocate for better investment in modernized early warning systems, especially in these vulnerable coastal regions.
The stakes could not be higher. A magnitude 9.0 earthquake or a 100-foot tsunami is not a question of if but when. The Trump administration is leaving entire communities and ecosystems dangerously exposed. We must act now to restore and improve these critical defenses before it is too late.
