2019 Estlenhar Earthquake

(WIP) WARNING: This event never happened in real life but serves as part of the ESPLAR Universe storyline. Do not use as a basis for research; use official research sources like USGS.

The 2019 Estlenhar Earthquake was a megathrust earthquake that occurred at 11:34 Pacific Standard Time on October 8, 2019, devastating the Estlenhar Island of the Altruras Archipelago and triggering a tsunami that went on to devastate southwest Estlenhar. The earthquake measured at a magnitude of 8.7 at a depth of 24.7 kilometers, thus exceeding the 1975 Estlenhar Earthquake as the largest earthquake in the area, which was caused by subduction between the Juan de Fuca and Pacific Plates. The earthquake left moderate to heavy damage across the Estlenhar Island, with heavy damage in southwest Estlenhar around Caumont and Nimden due to the tsunami that struck the area. Very minimal damage was reported outside of Estlenhar; even the resultant tsunami produced no damage in the areas it struck outside the archipelago.

Impact on ESPLAR Racing
Rockport Raceway Park reported minimal damage and was declared safe for ESPLAR to hold events in May 2020.

On the other hand, Emporia Raceway (which hosted ESPLAR Premier Regional Series earlier in the 2019 season) in the mountains of Estlenhar was declared a total loss and the series never went there again.