25 years after Nisqually, Pioneer Square reckons with history and earthquakes
Seattle Now
KUOW News and Information
4.7 • 670 Ratings
🗓️ 26 February 2026
⏱️ 19 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Seattle is in earthquake country, and our most recent big reminder of that came 25 years ago this Saturday, when the Nisqually Earthquake shook the Puget Sound region.
Seattle’s historic Pioneer Square neighborhood was hard hit, and a lot changed as a result of it.
We'll explore how the neighborhood has grappled with its vulnerability to earthquakes while preserving its history.
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Hi, it's Terry Gross, host of Fresh Air. Hey, take a break from the 24-hour news cycle with us |
| 0:05.6 | and listen to long-form interviews with your favorite authors, actors, filmmakers, |
| 0:10.4 | comedians, and musicians, the people making the art that nourishes us and speaks to our times. |
| 0:16.5 | So listen to the Fresh Air podcast from NPR and WHYY. |
| 0:23.3 | Hey, good morning. |
| 0:24.8 | I'm Patricia Murphy. |
| 0:26.1 | It's Thursday. |
| 0:27.2 | This is Seattle now. |
| 0:28.9 | Seattle is an earthquake country, |
| 0:30.8 | and our most recent big reminder of that came 25 years ago this Saturday |
| 0:35.7 | when the Nisqually quake shook the Puget Sound region. |
| 0:39.7 | Seattle's historic Pioneer Square neighborhood was hard hit and a lot's changed as a result of it. |
| 0:45.6 | More about how the neighborhood is grappled with its vulnerability and its history in a minute. |
| 0:50.7 | But first, let's get you caught up. |
| 0:56.1 | Public health officials are recommending that more than 130 people associated with Seattle's |
| 1:01.3 | Rainier Beach High School get tested for tuberculosis. A person with ties to the school recently |
| 1:07.1 | tested positive for TB, which can spread through the air. Officials say TB is not easy |
| 1:12.5 | to spread. It typically requires prolonged exposure, but health officials are working with the school |
| 1:18.1 | to directly contact people who they recommend get tested. Washington's Department of Natural Resources |
| 1:24.5 | says some recreation sites could close due to current and future funding |
| 1:29.5 | issues. The agency says it took a $7 million state funding cut in 2025, which eliminated half |
| 1:36.3 | of its field capacity to do trail and campground maintenance. Budget proposals being circulated right |
... |
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