Megathrust quake risk in the pacific northwest ?

I lived in California until I was in 1st grade and it has higher risk of earthquakes than in Washington. It is worth living in Washington and I'm sure that the school would give you advice on how to deal with earthquakes, just like a fire drill.

Earthquakes don't work like clockwork; therefore, they cannot accurately be predicted. Recurrence intervals (average time between events) are determined by taking past earthquakes and averaging the time between them; however inconsistencies of data can make inaccurate predictions (e.g. paleoseismologist's dig a trench in the wrong spot and miss past events; therefore, having skewed data).

The last megathrust EQ along the Cascadia SZ occurred on January 28th 1700 (we know this because of written records in Japan, where a tsunami struck resulting from this EQ). Furthermore, paleoseismologist's dug trenches finding tsunamigenic sand layers on the beach and were able to date the events from carbon dating (based from organic material) of the layers between these sands. The tsunamigenic sand layers have an average recurrence interval of ~300yrs, so 1700+300= 2000. Dating EQs is not an accurate science, as you can see by the math above, therefore; people often say the subduction zone megathrust is "overdue".

You have the choice to live here, and there are many other factors to look into besides waiting for this megathrust EQ (it could happen today, or 500yrs. from now no-one knows) such as; tsunamis. If you really want to live here/attend college then do it, don't let this scare you because you only live once.

Negative side-nobody really knows. The Japan quake was much stronger than they thought could happen.

There has been 3 massive upheavals in the Ring of Fire in the past few years. Indonesia, Chile and Japan. Why not the Pacific Northwest?

Positive side-Don't let it ruin what you want to do with your life. Every day anything can happen. That area is beautiful and well worth visiting. If you want to go there do it. Don't worry about things you have no control over.

What!? I just moved up here actually for school. Didn't know about that. But I would say move up here, follow your dreams. We all die someday.

apparently we've been overdue for it for the past few years so we don't really know

Get over it !!!

Go live your life !!!