Or so we thought.

But scientists say it stopped just short of causing major damage -- just short of catastrophe.

"A few more seconds of ground motion or stronger intensity of ground motion could have failed sections of the Alaskan Way Viaduct," said UW Seismologist Bill Steele.

A few more seconds, and we can only imagine what could have happened to the Viaduct, and to the old buildings that were damaged but avoided collapse.

"We were very lucky, but there is no guarantee the next earthquake won't be more damaging," Steele said.

A new exhibit at the Burke Museum chronicles the 'big quake' and what scientists are learning about the bigger ones to come.

It turns out, the Nisqually Earthquake wasn't the big one.

Not even close.

Western Washington is particularly vulnerable to catastrophic earthquakes on average every 550 years because we are quite literally stuck between a rock and a hard place.

The Juan de Fuca Plate off the Coast is sliding under the North American plate, creating an active zone of earthquakes.

At the same time, California's Pacific Plate is pushing against the Northwest, but the solid rock of British Columbia is not budging.

The result is a catastrophic quake waiting to happen -- maybe tomorrow, maybe 100 years from now.

"So we are certainly in a window that we could have one of these earthquakes tomorrow," Steele said. "And it would surprise no one."

The last major earthquake -- truly catastrophic earthquake in this part of the world -- was a 9.0 quake on Jan. 26, 1700. That would be about 100 times stronger than the 6.8 Nisqually Quake.

And scientists have no doubt it will happen again.

For More Information:

King County's Look At The Nisqually Quake One Year Later -- www.metrokc.gov
King County's Archive Of Their Responses To The Quake -- www.metrokc.gov
Pacific Northwest Seismology -- www.geophys.washington.edu
USGS -- www.usgs.gov
FEMA's Project Impact -- www.fema.gov
Seattle's Project Impact -- www.ci.seattle.wa.us
KOMO 4 News Photo Gallery Of Nisqually Quake -- www.komotv.com
USGS Photo Gallery Of Quake Damage -- nsmp.wr.usgs.gov
Washington Seismology Program -- neic.usgs.gov