Major earthquakes have occurred throughout human history, with the earliest recorded dating back almost 2,000 BC. But it is only in the last century that our technological capabilities have reached the point where the impact of these disasters can be fully measured.
Our ability to study earthquakes has made it possible to avoid catastrophic casualties, such as in the case of a tsunami, when people have the opportunity to evacuate a potentially dangerous area. But unfortunately, the warning system does not always work. There are several examples of earthquakes where the greatest damage was caused by the subsequent tsunami, and not by the earthquake itself. People have improved building standards and improved early warning systems, but they have never been able to completely protect themselves from disasters. There are many different ways to estimate the strength of an earthquake. Some people base it on the Richter scale, others on the number of deaths and injuries, or even the monetary value of the damaged property.
This list of the 12 strongest earthquakes combines all of these methods in one.
Lisbon earthquake
The Great Lisbon Earthquake struck the Portuguese capital on November 1, 1755, causing enormous destruction. They were made worse by the fact that it was All Saints' Day and thousands of people attended mass in the church. Churches, like most other buildings, could not withstand the elements and collapsed, killing people. Subsequently, a tsunami 6 meters high hit. An estimated 80,000 died due to fires caused by the destruction. Many famous writers and philosophers dealt with the Lisbon earthquake in their works. For example, Emmanuel Kant, who tried to find a scientific explanation for what happened 
California earthquake
A major earthquake struck California in April 1906. Etched into history as the San Francisco earthquake, it caused damage to a much wider area. Downtown San Francisco was destroyed by a huge fire that followed. Initial figures mentioned 700 to 800 dead, although researchers claim the actual death toll was more than 3,000. More than half of San Francisco's population lost their homes as 28,000 buildings were destroyed by the earthquake and fires. 
Messina earthquake
One of Europe's largest earthquakes struck Sicily and southern Italy in the early hours of December 28th, 1908, killing an estimated 120,000 people. The main epicenter of the damage was Messina, which was virtually destroyed by the disaster. The magnitude 7.5 earthquake was accompanied by a tsunami that hit the coast. A recent study suggested that the size of the waves was so huge because of an underwater landslide. Much of the damage was due to the poor quality of buildings in Messina and other parts of Sicily. 
Haiyuan earthquake
One of the deadliest earthquakes on the list occurred in December 1920, with its epicenter in Haiyuan Chingya. At least 230,000 people died. Measuring 7.8 on the Richter scale, the earthquake destroyed almost every home in the region, causing significant damage to major cities like Lanzhou, Taiyuan and Xi'an. Incredibly, waves from the earthquake were visible even off the coast of Norway. According to a recent study, Haiyuan was the strongest earthquake to hit China during the 20th century. Researchers have also questioned the official death toll, suggesting there may have been more than 270,000. This number represents 59 percent of the population in the Haiyuan area. The Haiyuan earthquake is considered one of the most destructive natural disasters in history. 
Chilean earthquake
A total of 1,655 were killed and 3,000 were injured after a magnitude 9.5 earthquake struck Chile in 1960. Seismologists called it the strongest earthquake ever to occur. 2 million people were left homeless and economic losses amounted to $500 million. The force of the earthquake caused a tsunami, with casualties in places as far away as Japan, Hawaii and the Philippines. In some parts of Chile, waves have moved building ruins 3 kilometers inland. The massive Chilean earthquake of 1960 caused a giant rupture in the ground extending over 1,000 kilometers. 
Earthquake in Alaska
On March 27th, 1964, a strong 9.2 earthquake struck the Prince William Sound region of Alaska. As the second most powerful earthquake on record, it caused a relatively low number of deaths (192 deaths). However, significant property damage occurred in Anchorage, and tremors were felt in all 47 US states. Due to significant improvements in research technology, the Alaska earthquake has provided scientists with valuable seismic data, allowing them to better understand the nature of such events. 
Kobe earthquake
In 1995, Japan was hit by one of its most powerful earthquakes when a magnitude 7.2 shock struck the Kobe region in south-central Japan. Although it was not the worst ever observed, the devastating impact was felt by a significant portion of the population - approximately 10 million people living in the densely populated area. A total of 5,000 were killed and 26,000 were injured. The US Geological Survey estimated damage at $200 billion, with infrastructure and buildings destroyed. 
Sumatra and Andaman earthquake
The tsunami that struck across the Indian Ocean on December 26, 2004 killed at least 230,000 people. It was caused by a large undersea earthquake off the west coast of Sumatra, Indonesia. His strength was measured at 9.1 on the Richter scale. The previous earthquake in Sumatra occurred in 2002. It is believed to have been a seismic pre-shock, with several aftershocks occurring throughout 2005. The main reason for the huge number of casualties was the lack of any early warning system in the Indian Ocean capable of detecting an approaching Tsunami. A giant wave reached the shores of some countries, where tens of thousands of people died, for at least several hours. 
Kashmir earthquake
Jointly administered by Pakistan and India, Kashmir was hit by a magnitude 7.6 earthquake in October 2005, killing at least 80,000 people and leaving 4 million homeless. Rescue efforts were hampered by conflicts between the two countries fighting over the territory. The situation was aggravated by the rapid onset of winter and the destruction of many roads in the region. Eyewitnesses spoke of entire areas of cities literally sliding off cliffs due to the destructive elements. 
Disaster in Haiti
Port-au-Prince was hit by an earthquake on January 12, 2010, leaving half the capital's population without their homes. The death toll is still disputed and ranges from 160,000 to 230,000. A recent report highlighted that as of the fifth anniversary of the disaster, 80,000 people continue to live on the streets. The impact of the earthquake has caused severe poverty in Haiti, which is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere. Many buildings in the capital were not built in accordance with seismic requirements, and the people of the completely destroyed country had no means of subsistence other than the international aid provided. 
Tohoku earthquake in Japan
The worst nuclear disaster since Chernobyl was caused by a magnitude 9 earthquake off the east coast of Japan on March 11, 2011. Scientists estimate that during the 6-minute earthquake of colossal force, 108 kilometers of the seabed rose to a height of 6 to 8 meters. This caused a large tsunami that damaged the coast of Japan's northern islands. The Fukushima nuclear power plant was badly damaged and efforts to salvage the situation are still ongoing. The official death toll is 15,889 dead, although 2,500 people are still missing. Many areas have become uninhabitable due to nuclear radiation. 
Christchurch
The worst natural disaster in New Zealand's history claimed 185 lives on February 22, 2011, when Christchurch was hit by a powerful 6.3 magnitude earthquake. More than half of the deaths were caused by the collapse of the CTV building, which was built in violation of seismic codes. Thousands of other houses were also destroyed, including the city's cathedral. The government declared a state of emergency in the country so that rescue efforts could proceed as quickly as possible. More than 2,000 people were injured, and reconstruction costs exceeded $40 billion. But in December 2013, the Canterbury Chamber of Commerce said that three years after the tragedy, only 10 per cent of the city had been rebuilt. 
On January 11, 1693, the Sicilian earthquake occurred during the eruption of Mount Etna. It literally turned several cities in southern Italy, Sicily and Malta into dust, and the rubble of buildings became the grave of 100 thousand people. RG recalls the deadliest earthquakes.
Chinese earthquake - 830 thousand victims
This earthquake, which occurred in 1556, is also called the Great China. It was truly catastrophic. Its magnitude, according to today's estimates, reached 11 points. The epicenter of the disaster was in the valley of the Wei River in Shaanxi province, near the cities of Huaxian, Weinan and Huanin. All three cities were reduced to a pile of rubble in less than 8 minutes.
At the epicenter of the earthquake, 20-meter holes and cracks opened. The destruction affected areas 500 kilometers away from the epicenter. The large number of victims was due to the fact that the vast majority of the population of the province lived in limestone caves, which either collapsed after the first tremors or were flooded by mudflows.
Chinese historical records contain the following data about the earthquake: “Mountains and rivers changed their location, roads were destroyed. In some places the ground suddenly rose and new hills appeared, or vice versa - parts of the former hills went underground, floated and became new plains. In in other places there were constant mudflows, or the ground was splitting and new ravines appeared.”
Tangshan earthquake - 800 thousand victims
The earthquake in the Chinese city of Tangshan is recognized by experts as the largest natural disaster of the 20th century. In the early morning of July 28, 1976, at a depth of 22 kilometers, an 8.2 magnitude shock occurred, which killed from 240 to 800 thousand people in a matter of minutes. Subsequent tremors with a magnitude of 7 completely destroyed 6 million residential buildings.
The Chinese government still refuses to give exact numbers of human casualties, because more than half a million people are still missing.
The Tangshan tragedy formed the basis of the feature film "Earthquake", which is one of the most expensive in the history of cinema of the Republic.
Indian Ocean earthquake - 227,898 victims
Let's dilute our peculiar "rating" with an underwater earthquake. It occurred in the Indian Ocean on December 26, 2004, and the tsunami that followed, according to various estimates, killed up to 300 thousand people. The exact number of victims is still unknown - ocean waves washed away thousands of people from the coastal area. The dead were found even in Port Elizabeth, South Africa, 6,900 km from the epicenter.
The energy released by the earthquake is estimated to be approximately 2 exajoules. This energy would be enough to boil 150 liters of water for every inhabitant of the Earth, or the same amount of energy that humanity uses in 2 years. The Earth's surface oscillated within 20-30 centimeters, which is equivalent to tidal forces acting from the Sun and Moon. The shock wave passed through the entire planet: vertical vibrations of 3 millimeters were recorded in the American state of Oklahoma.
The earthquake shortened the length of the day by about 2.68 microseconds, that is, by about one-billionth, due to the decrease in the oblateness of the Earth.
Earthquake in Haiti - 222,570 victims
The earthquake occurred on January 12, 2010 in the immediate vicinity of the capital of the Republic - Port-au-Prince. The force of the shock, according to various estimates, did not exceed 7 points, but the extreme population density in this area led to colossal casualties.
Immediately after the main shock, aftershocks with a force of up to 5 points followed, which completed the destruction. Thousands of residential buildings and almost all hospitals were destroyed. About 3 million people were left homeless. The country's capital was devastated by an earthquake, the water supply was destroyed, epidemics and looting began.
Ashgabat earthquake - 176 thousand victims
On the night of October 5-6, 1948, an earthquake occurred in the capital of the Turkmen SSR, Ashgabat, which is recognized by experts as one of the most destructive. The strength in the epicentral region was 9-10 points, Ashgabat was destroyed by 98 percent, and 3⁄4 of the city’s population died.
In 1948, very little was reported about the disaster in the official Soviet press. It was only said that “the earthquake resulted in human casualties.” Later, information about the victims in the media stopped publishing altogether. A large number of victims was associated with the early time of the earthquake and architectural features: Ashgabat was built up with houses with flat roofs.
To combat the consequences of the earthquake, carry out search and rescue operations and bury the victims, 4 divisions of the Red Army were transferred to the city. The disaster claimed the lives of the mother of a major political figure, Saparmurat Niyazov, and his brothers, Muhammetmuraat and Niyazmurat.
Sicilian earthquake - 100 thousand victims
Well, and finally - the Sicilian earthquake of 1693 or the Great Sicilian - one of the largest in the history of all of Italy. It occurred on January 11, 1693 during the eruption of Etna and caused destruction in southern Italy, Sicily and Malta. The earthquake itself and subsequent aftershocks and landslides killed about 100 thousand people.
South-eastern Sicily suffered the most: many architectural monuments were destroyed here. It was in the Val di Noto area, almost completely destroyed, that a new architectural style of the late Baroque, known as the "Sicilian Baroque", was born. Many buildings of this style are protected by UNESCO monuments.
On April 25, 2015, one of the most destructive earthquakes on the planet occurred in Nepal, which claimed the lives of more than 3,000 people and turned many buildings and historical monuments into ruins. According to experts, Nepalese residents may experience new aftershocks in the coming week. In our review of the 10 most destructive earthquakes that occurred on Earth over the last century.
1. Valdivia, Chile
This earthquake, which occurred in 1960, was the strongest recorded in history, reaching a maximum of 9.5 on the Richter scale. This can be compared to the simultaneous explosion of 1000 atomic bombs. The earthquake was felt not only in Valdivia, but also in the Hawaiian Islands - 700 km away. During the disaster, which destroyed Valvidia, Concepción and Puerto Montt, 6,000 people died. Material damage amounted to more than $1 billion.
2. Sumatra, Indonesia
On December 26, 2004, a magnitude 9.3 earthquake occurred at the bottom of the Indian Ocean, which caused a huge tsunami. It was the second most seismically active earthquake in the world, and the longest duration of tremors recorded. Even the Maldives and Thailand suffered from its consequences, as more than 5 tsunamis hit the entire coast of the Indian Sea. 225,000 people died, and in just the first 10 minutes of the disaster, the damage from it amounted to more than $7 billion.
3. Tanshan, China
On July 28, 1976, an earthquake occurred in the Chinese province of Hebei, leveling the city of Tangshan. 255,000 people died, although the Chinese government initially claimed 655,000 dead. The magnitude 8.2 earthquake lasted only 10 seconds but caused massive destruction in the area. Hebei is a region with a very low risk of earthquakes, so the buildings in Tangshan were not earthquake resistant. Total damage was 10 billion yuan, or $1.3 billion.
4. Tashkent, Uzbekistan, USSR
In the early morning of April 26, 1966, an earthquake with a magnitude of 8 occurred in Tashkent. The zone of maximum destruction was 10 square meters. kilometers. 8 people died, 78 thousand families were left homeless. More than 2 million square meters of buildings were destroyed.
5. Port-au-Prince, Haiti
The strength of the earthquake in Haiti, which occurred on January 12, 2010, was 7.0 on the Richter scale. The epicenter of the tremors was located near Leogane, 25 km west of the capital of Haiti, Port-au-Prince. At least 52 tremors were recorded, which were felt even after 12 days. The earthquake resulted in 316,000 deaths, 300,000 people were injured, and more than a million people were left homeless. 250,000 homes and 30,000 commercial buildings were also destroyed.
6. Tohoku, Japan
On March 11, 2011, the east coast of Japan was struck by a magnitude 9.03 earthquake, which was the strongest in the country's history. The earthquake, considered one of the world's five largest, resulted in 15,878 deaths, 6,126 injuries and 2,173 missing in 20 prefectures. It also destroyed 129,225 buildings, and the tsunami caused by the earthquake led to severe infrastructure damage and fires in many areas. The Fukushima nuclear power plant was severely damaged, leading to radioactive contamination. As a result, Japan faced its biggest crisis since World War II.
7. Ashgabat, USSR
This earthquake of magnitude 7.3 occurred on October 6, 1948 near Ashgabat. Due to censorship, it was not reported in the media, so there was no information about casualties or destruction. The number of victims is estimated at 110,000 people, and 98% of all buildings in Ashgabat were destroyed.
8. Sichuan, China
On May 8, 2008, a magnitude 8.0 earthquake occurred in the Chinese province of Sichuan. It was so strong that it was felt in neighboring countries, as well as in distant Beijing and Shanghai, where buildings swayed from the tremors. According to official data, the death toll was 69,197 people. 374,176 people were injured and 18,222 are considered missing. The Chinese government has allocated 1 trillion yuan or $146.5 billion to rebuild areas that were damaged by the earthquake.
9. Kashmir, Pakistan
On October 8, 2005, the disputed region of Pakistan and India, Kashmir, was hit by an earthquake measuring 7.6 on the Richter scale. The disaster killed 85,000 people, injured more than 69,000, and left 4 million Kashmiris homeless.
10. Izmit, Türkiye
A magnitude 7.9 earthquake struck northern Turkey on August 17, 1990. Although it lasted only 3.7 seconds, the city of Izmit was practically reduced to ruins. Officially there were 17,127 casualties and 43,959 wounded, although other sources put the actual death toll at 45,000. The earthquake destroyed 120,000 poorly designed houses and severely damaged 50,000 other buildings. More than 300,000 people were left homeless.
Fortunately, despite the time and the elements, there are places on the planet today that are definitely worth visiting.
About a million earthquakes occur on Earth every year, most of them so minor that most people would mistake them for a loaded car driving down the street next door. However, really strong points and shifts in the earth's crust in densely populated areas turn into a real tragedy, during which tens of thousands of people die and entire cities can turn into ruins. Meet the ten most destructive earthquakes.
10. Lisbon earthquake
One of the most destructive earthquakes occurred on November 1, 1755, the epicenter of which was at the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean, 200 kilometers from the coast of southern Portugal. Strong tremors, tsunamis and fires claimed the lives of more than 100,000 people. The capital of Portugal, Lisbon has practically disappeared from the face of the earth, including the royal palace, the opera house and several cathedrals, burying thousands of works of art and tens of thousands of priceless manuscripts.
9. Messina earthquake
One of the strongest earthquakes in Europe, which occurred on December 28, 1908, affected Sicily and Italy, during which about 120,000 people died. The epicenter of the tremors, a layer of 7.5 points, was located in the Strait of Messina, which led to a simply huge tsunami that hit the coast, literally sweeping away everything in its path. The tragedy was aggravated by numerous underwater landslides, which increased the height of the waves and the very precarious, fragile buildings that were traditionally built in Messini. By the way, 18 days after the earthquake, rescuers were able to pull two children out from under the rubble.
8. Earthquake in Gansu
One of the most destructive and deadly earthquakes occurred on December 16, 1920 in the Chinese province of Gansu. The force of the tremors was about 7.8 on the Richter scale, which led to the destruction of entire cities and villages in which not a single intact building remained. Significant damage was also caused to such large cities as Lanzhou, Taiyuan and Xi'an. Vibrations from this earthquake were recorded even in Norway. More than 270,000 people died under the rubble and landslides, which is 59% of the population of Gansu at that time.
7. Earthquake in Chile
One of the strongest earthquakes in human history occurred on May 22, 1960 in Chile, the strength of which at the epicenter reached 9.5 points, and the fault was 1000 kilometers. The natural disaster killed 1,655 people, injured 3,000 people, left about 2 million people homeless, and caused half a billion dollars in losses. The tsunami generated by this earthquake reached the coasts of Japan, the Philippines and Hawaii and caused significant damage to coastal communities. In some areas of Chile, the waves were so large that some houses were abandoned 3 kilometers deep into the continent.
6. Kobe earthquake
On January 17, 1995, one of the most destructive earthquakes in Japanese history occurred in the Kobo area. Although the force of the tremors was 7.2 points, the epicenter was located in a very densely populated area. The earthquake killed more than 5,000 people, injured 26,000 people and left about 10 million people homeless. Losses amounted to 200 billion dollars, a kilometer of expressway disappeared from the surface of the earth in a few minutes, several hundred thousand buildings were destroyed, and the work of the large transport company Hanshin Express was paralyzed for several weeks.
5. Earthquake in Kanto
The Kanto earthquake, which occurred on September 1, 1923, was the most destructive in the history of Japan. The natural disaster almost completely destroyed Tokyo and Yokohama, where about 175,000 people died, about one million people were left homeless, and about 200 thousand buildings were destroyed or burned down. Destroyed communications and damaged water supply did not allow the authorities to provide timely assistance to people and effectively combat the consequences of the disaster.
4. Earthquake off the coast of Sumatra
The earthquake off the western coast of Sumatra on December 26, 2004 affected all countries of the Indian Ocean. The force of the tremors was 9.1 on the Richter scale, but the deadliest was the tsunami, which killed at least 230,000 people. The reason for the large number of casualties was the undeveloped early warning system for tsunamis in the Indian Ocean. The previous earthquake near Sumatra occurred in 2002, according to experts this was preliminary seismic activity before a major shift of the Indian plate. Then, throughout 2005, there were several more shocks, which, however, did not cause much harm to the countries.
3. Earthquake in Haiti
The earthquake in Haiti, which occurred on January 12, 2012, almost completely destroyed the capital of this island state, Port-au-Prince. In just a few minutes, half the city's population was left homeless, and about 230,000 people died. Haiti is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, so international organizations provided the main assistance to the victims. 5 years after the tragedy, about 80,000 continue to live in tents.
2. Tohoku earthquake
An earthquake at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean near the Japanese province of Tohoku turned into the second largest nuclear disaster after the explosion of the Chernobyl power plant. 108 kilometers of ocean day rose 8 meters in 6 minutes, which led to the appearance of a giant tsunami. Giant waves hit the northern islands of Japan, seriously damaging several units at the Fukushima nuclear power plant, which led to radioactive contamination of large areas that became uninhabitable. During the tragedy, 15,889 people died and about 2,500 people were missing.
1. Tangshan earthquake
In the Chinese city of Tangshan, on July 28, 1976, an earthquake measuring 8.2 on the Richter scale occurred, which was destroyed almost to the ground. The scale of the tragedy was intensified by numerous mining operations. The cities of Tianjin and Beijing were also seriously damaged by the tremors. The Chinese authorities tried to limit as much as possible the leak of information about the scale of the tragedy, which was not known abroad for a long time, and deliberately reduced the number of victims. According to official figures, about 250,000 people died, but they say that the real number of victims reaches 800,000 people. More than 5.3 million houses were also destroyed, rendering them uninhabitable.
