It's been almost 25 years since the Nisqually earthquake, the last "big one" to hit Seattle. 

But the region is due for an even bigger one -- one that could be more massive than the underwater quake that just hit off the coast of Russia. 

The Nisqually quake did at least $2 billion worth of damage across the Puget Sound region. It hit Seattle’s historic brick and stone buildings hard, and the city has learned a lot of expensive lessons about what would make them safer. 

So... is old Seattle worth saving? And is there a way to do it that won’t bankrupt the owners, or the city?

Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to kuow.org/donate/boomingnotes. 

Booming is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network. Our editor is Carol Smith. Our producers are Lucy Soucek and Alec Cowan. Our hosts are Joshua McNichols and Monica Nickelsburg.

It's been almost 25 years since the Nisqually earthquake, the last "big one" to hit Seattle.&nbsp;
But the region is due for an even bigger one -- one that could be more massive than the underwater quake that just hit off the coast of Russia.&nbsp;
The Nisqually quake did at least $2 billion worth of damage across the Puget Sound region. It hit Seattle&rsquo;s historic brick and stone buildings hard, and the city has learned a lot of expensive lessons about what would make them safer.&nbsp;
So... is old Seattle worth saving? And is there a way to do it that won&rsquo;t bankrupt the owners, or the city?
Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kuow.org/donate/booming">kuow.org/donate/boomingnotes.</a>&nbsp;
Booming is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network. Our editor is&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kuow.org/authors/carol-smith">Carol Smith</a>. Our producers are&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kuow.org/authors/lucy-soucek">Lucy Soucek</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kuow.org/authors/alec-cowan">Alec Cowan</a>. Our hosts are&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kuow.org/authors/joshua-mcnichols">Joshua McNichols</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kuow.org/authors/monica-nickelsburg">Monica Nickelsburg</a>.

Booming is a weekly podcast about the economic forces shaping our lives here in the Pacific Northwest. The Seattle area's been home to many booms over the years. It’s brought jobs, people, and wealth to the region, but also real growing pains that people here feel every day. In Booming, KUOW economy reporters Joshua McNichols and Monica Nickelsburg help listeners make sense of our ever-changing economy. We'll dig into what people are seeing or feeling and unpack the story behind it.

Booming is a weekly podcast about the economic forces shaping our lives here in the Pacific Northwest. The Seattle area's been home to many booms over the years. It&rsquo;s brought jobs, people, and wealth to the region, but also real growing pains that people here feel every day. In&nbsp;Booming, KUOW economy reporters Joshua McNichols and Monica Nickelsburg help listeners make sense of our ever-changing economy. We'll dig into what people are seeing or feeling and unpack the story behind it.

Booming

The Nisqually earthquake did at least $2 billion worth of damage across the Puget Sound region. It hit Seattle’s historic brick and stone buildings hard, and the city has learned a lot of expensive lessons about what would make them safer. 