2030 earthquake

The 2030 earthquake was a major earthquake that destroyed a large portion of the west coast of America. It occurred in 2029, during a time when there was already great political and economic instability in the United States.

Background
According to research carried out by Samizdat in 2029, the number of low magnitude earthquakes (defined as having a magnitude of 4 or less) occurring in the world had increased by 300% from 2018 to 2028. They note that the number of larger magnitude quakes had been consistent across these years, but suggested that the lower magnitude ones were caused intentionally. In the same year, there was an international summit on seismology held in Hawaii that discussed activity around the. One leading seismologist warned that there was a build-up of seismic energy between the North American and Pacific tectonic plates. If the subducting North American plate were to move relative to the Pacific plate and causes a shift in the water column, a large-scale tsunami unlike any seen since the Paleolithic era would occur. The areas hit by the 2030 earthquake were located right on the plate boundary between the North American and Pacific plates.

Cause and Aftermath
It is rumored that the earthquake did not occur for natural reasons, and was instead artificially triggered by humans. Some suspect a secret cabal, such as the Illuminati, of being behind it, although this link has not been confirmed.

The quake destroyed most of San Francisco, while Los Angeles and the majority of southern California south of Lompoc are lost to the Pacific Ocean. This created a new west coast of America. For example, Pasadena is now on the coast, whereas it was previously about thirty kilometers inland.

The damage caused was a great setback to the United States, and it was on the brink of collapse following this disaster. Due to this instability, the Illuminati have planned to let the country collapse so that it can more easily take full control of it. However, this never happened and the country instead righted itself. The 2030 earthquake thus becomes a pivotal event that leads to the downfall of the Illuminati, as they begin to loose their grip on society and are consequently taken over by Majestic 12.