The following is a summary of significant earthquakes during the 21st century. In terms of fatalities, the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake was the most destructive event with 227,898 confirmed fatalities, followed by the 2010 Haiti earthquake with about 160,000 fatalities, [2] the 2008 Sichuan earthquake with 87,587 fatalities, the 2005 Kashmir earthquake with 87,351 fatalities, and the 2023 Turkey–Syria earthquakes with at least 59,488 fatalities.
The 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami became the costliest natural disaster, resulting in approximately $360 billion in property damage at the time, followed by the 2023 Turkey–Syria earthquakes and the 2008 Sichuan earthquake, which resulted in $163.6 billion and $150 billion in damage, respectively.
Rank | Magnitude [7] | Event | Location | Date |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 9.2–9.3 | 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake | ![]() | December 26, 2004 |
2 | 9.0–9.1 | 2011 Tōhoku earthquake | ![]() | March 11, 2011 |
3 | 8.8 | 2010 Chile earthquake | ![]() | February 27, 2010 |
4 | 8.6 | 2005 Nias–Simeulue earthquake | ![]() | March 28, 2005 |
4 | 8.6 | 2012 Indian Ocean earthquakes | ![]() | April 11, 2012 |
5 | 8.5 | September 2007 Sumatra earthquakes | ![]() | September 12, 2007 |
Note:This only ranks immediate costs, for example, nuclear meltdown and climate and fossil fuel costs, as well as other ongoing costs from quakes are not included.
Rank | Event | Location | Magnitude | Historic cost (year) | Adjusted for inflation (year) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami | ![]() | 9.0–9.1 | $235 billion (2011) [8] | $320.4 billion (2023) |
2 | 2023 Turkey–Syria earthquake | ![]() ![]() | 7.8 and 7.7 Mw | $163.3 billion (2023) [9] [10] | $163.3 billion (2023) |
3 | 2008 Sichuan earthquake | ![]() | 8.0 Ms | $150 billion (2008) [11] | $212.3 billion (2023) |
4 | 2010 Canterbury earthquake | ![]() | 7.0 | $40 billion (2010) [12] | $56.2 billion (2023) |
5 | 2004 Chūetsu earthquake | ![]() | 6.8 | $28 billion (2004) [13] [14] | $45.1 billion (2024) |
6 | 2011 Sikkim earthquake | ![]() | 6.9 | $22.3 billion (2011) [15] | $30.2 billion (2024) |
7 | 2016 Kumamoto earthquakes | ![]() | 7.0 | $24-46 billion (2016) [16] | $30.5-58.4 billion (2024) |
8 | 2024 Noto earthquake | ![]() | 7.5 | $17.6 billion (2024) [17] | $17.6 billion (2024) |
9 | 2009 L'Aquila earthquake | ![]() | 6.3 | $16 billion (2009) [18] | $22.7 billion (2024) |
10 | 2012 Northern Italy earthquakes | ![]() | 6.1 [19] | $15.8 billion (2012) [20] | $20.9 billion (2024) |
These are the deadliest earthquakes per year [21]
These are the largest earthquakes by magnitude per year [7]
The 1964 Alaskan earthquake, also known as the Great Alaskan earthquake and Good Friday earthquake, occurred at 5:36 PM AKST on Good Friday, March 27. Across south-central Alaska, ground fissures, collapsing structures, and tsunamis resulting from the earthquake caused about 131 deaths.
Earthquake insurance is a form of property insurance that pays the policyholder in the event of an earthquake that causes damage to the property. Most ordinary homeowners insurance policies do not cover earthquake damage.
The 1976 Tangshan earthquake was a Mw 7.6 earthquake that hit the region around Tangshan, Hebei, China, at 3:42 a.m. on 28 July 1976. The maximum intensity of the earthquake was XI (Extreme) on the Mercalli scale. In minutes, 85 percent of the buildings in Tangshan collapsed or were rendered unusable, all services failed, and most of the highway and railway bridges collapsed or were seriously damaged. The official report claimed 242,769 deaths and 164,851 serious injuries in Tangshan, but when taken into account the missing, the injured who later died and the deaths in nearby Beijing and Tianjin, scholars accepted at least 300,000 died, making it one of the deadliest earthquakes in recorded history and worst disasters in China by death toll.
The 1970 Ancash earthquake occurred on 31 May off the coast of Peru in the Pacific Ocean at 15:23:29 local time. Combined with a resultant landslide, it is the most catastrophic natural disaster in the history of Peru. Due to the large amounts of snow and ice included in the landslide that caused an estimated 66,000-70,000 casualties, it is also considered to be the world's deadliest avalanche.
The 1950 Assam–Tibet earthquake, also known as the Assam earthquake, occurred on 15 August and had a moment magnitude of 8.7. The epicentre was located in the Mishmi Hills. It is the strongest earthquake ever recorded on land and is tied with the 2012 Indian Ocean Earthquakes as the strongest Strike-slip earthquake to date.
The 1138 Aleppo earthquake was among the deadliest earthquakes in history. Its name was taken from the city of Aleppo, in northern Syria, where the most casualties were sustained. The earthquake also caused damage and chaos to many other places in the area around Aleppo. The quake occurred on 11 October 1138 and was preceded by a smaller quake on the 10th. It is frequently listed as the third deadliest earthquake in history, following on from the Shensi and Tangshan earthquakes in China. However, the figure of 230,000 deaths reported by Ibn Taghribirdi in the fifteenth century is most likely based on a historical conflation of this earthquake with earthquakes in November 1137 on the Jazira plain and the large seismic event of 30 September 1139 in the Transcaucasian city of Ganja.
The 1918 San Fermín earthquake, also known as the Puerto Rico earthquake of 1918, struck the island of Puerto Rico at 10:14:42 local time on October 11. The earthquake measured 7.1 on the moment magnitude scale and IX (Violent) on the Mercalli intensity scale. The mainshock epicenter occurred off the northwestern coast of the island, somewhere along the Puerto Rico Trench.
The 1959 Hebgen Lake earthquake occurred in the western United States on August 17 at 11:37 pm (MST) in southwestern Montana.
The 2003 Hokkaidō earthquake, scientifically named the 2003 Tokachi-Oki earthquake, occurred off the coast of Hokkaidō, Japan on 26 September at 04:50 local time. At a focal depth of 27 km (17 mi), this great undersea earthquake measured 8.3 on the moment magnitude scale, making it the most powerful earthquake of 2003, as well as one of the most intense earthquakes to hit Japan since modern record-keeping began in 1900.
The 1948 Fukui earthquake occurred in Fukui Prefecture, Japan. The magnitude 6.8 quake struck at 4:13:31 p.m.(JDT) on June 28, 1948. The quake's hypocenter was approximately 10 km north-northeast of Fukui, in the present-day neighborhood of Maruoka, Sakai City. The strongest shaking occurred in the city of Fukui, where it was recorded as 6 on the Japan Meteorological Agency seismic intensity scale.
The 1970 Tonghai earthquake occurred at 01:00:41 local time on January 5 with a moment magnitude of 7.1 and a maximum Mercalli intensity of X (Extreme). The strike-slip rupture originated on the Red River Fault, which had not experienced an earthquake above magnitude 7 since 1700, and affected Tonghai County, Yunnan province, China. At least 10,000 people were killed, making it one of the deadliest in its decade. The tremor caused between US$5 and $25 million in damage, felt over an area of 8,781 km2 (3,390 sq mi). In Hanoi, North Vietnam, almost 483 km (300 mi) from the epicenter, victims left their homes as the rupture rumbled through the city.
The 1935 Shinchiku-Taichū earthquake occurred with a Richter magnitude of 7.1 (7.1 Mw) in April 1935 with its epicenter in Taichung, Taiwan. It was the deadliest earthquake in Taiwan's recorded history, claiming 3,276 lives and causing extensive damage. Twelve seconds after the mainshock, an aftershock of ML 6.0 occurred, centered on Gabi Village.
The 1951 East Rift Valley earthquakes were a series of earthquakes which struck eastern Taiwan from 22 October 1951 to 5 December 1951, four of which registered at 7 or greater on the moment magnitude scale, the largest of those being magnitude 7.3 and 7.8 quakes on November 24. Altogether the quakes killed 85 people.
The 2010 Solomon Islands earthquake occurred with a moment magnitude of 7.1 on January 3 at 22:36:28 (UTC). A tsunami measuring approximately 10 feet affected some parts of the islands, while a maximum run-up height of 23.0 feet was recorded. The earthquake was the largest in a series of quakes to strike the Solomon Islands over the preceding days. The 7.1 mainshock was preceded by a 6.6 magnitude foreshock some 48 minutes previous. As many as 1,000 people were left homeless on the island of Rendova after the earthquake and tsunami destroyed approximately 200 homes.
The 1982 Flores earthquake struck the island of Flores in Indonesia on December 25. Registering a moment magnitude of 5.9, according to the International Seismological Centre, it created landslides and was reportedly accompanied by a tsunami. The earthquake killed thirteen people and left 390 injured, also destroying 1,875 houses and 121 other buildings. The villages of Layahong and Oyong Barang were damaged by seven seconds of shaking.
The 1941 Andaman Islands earthquake struck the Andaman Islands on June 26 with a magnitude of 7.7 to 8.1. Details of this event are poorly known as much of Southeast Asia was in the turmoil of World War II. The quake caused severe damage in the Andaman Islands. The tsunami it triggered was reported along the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, India and British Ceylon. There may have been damage and deaths in Bangladesh, Myanmar, and Thailand due to the tsunami.
The 2016 Ecuador earthquake occurred on April 16 at 18:58:37 ECT with a moment magnitude of 7.8 and a maximum Mercalli intensity of VIII (Severe). The very large thrust earthquake was centered approximately 27 km (17 mi) from the towns of Muisne and Pedernales in a sparsely populated part of the country, and 170 km (110 mi) from the capital Quito, where it was felt strongly. Regions of Manta, Pedernales and Portoviejo accounted for over 75 percent of total casualties. Manta's central commercial shopping district, Tarqui, was completely destroyed. There was widespread damage across Manabí Province, and structures hundreds of kilometres from the epicenter collapsing. At least 676 people were killed and 27,732 people injured. President Rafael Correa declared a state of emergency; 13,500 military personnel and police officers were dispatched for recovery operations.
The 2021 Assam earthquake struck 11 km away from Dhekiajuli, Assam, India at 07:51 (IST) on April 28, 2021 with a moment magnitude of 6.0 at 34.0 km (21.1 mi) depth. The quake struck with an epicenter 140 km north of the main city of Guwahati. It resulted in two fatalities and at least 12 injuries.
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