SEATTLE - "The Big One" may not occur in the near future, but it's caused some to tremble on social media. The recent New Yorker article about the potential for a catastrophic event in the Puget Sound was also on the agenda at the Washington State Transportation Commission meeting in Seattle on Tuesday.

The commission received a special briefing from emergency managers, who for the most part agreed with much of the New Yorker article and even took it one step further.

"The truth is, we're not ready," said Peter Antolin, Deputy Director of Washington's Emergency Management Division.

He told the commission a 9.0 quake in the Cascadia Subduction Zone would cause significant damage, as the article suggested. However, he dismissed the idea that everything "west of Interstate 5 will be toast." 

"Define toast," Antonlin said. "I think the reality is there will be pockets where people will be able to survive."

However, the deputy director said the article brings up a discussion that people in Western Washington need to have.

According to researchers, there has not been a major quake in the Cascadia Subduction Zone since 1700 and these type of major events happen every 300-500 years.

Antolin told the commission a quake that size will last 3-6 minutes and would likely send the road system "into the 1800's."

The state projects that a tsunami created by a large earthquake would flood several coastal communities, but not all of Puget Sound.

"We need more people to be aware of the risk we face and preparedness -- perhaps two weeks of food and water that they can store in their basements or garages," he warned.

Antolin said the state has put together plans to use the Moses Lake Airport as a central staging area, as well as plans for how to handle hospital care.

He added that the state will be better prepared after a four-day, real-time exercise next year. "Cascadia Rising 2016" will take place June 7-10, 2016.