The 12 Worst Earthquakes of All Time

The 12 Worst Earthquakes of All Time — page 1 — 1 Large Earthquake Shakes Alaska’s Rat Islands Alaska is the largest state by land area in the United States It is bigger than Texas California and Montana combined Alaska is also the most sparsely populated state Much of it is covered in ice and snow Harsh conditions keep many people away The Aleutian Islands lie off of Alaska’s west coast The region experienced a huge earthquake on February 4 1965 The temblor measured 8.7 on the Richter scale It is called the Rat Islands earthquake because it happened closest to that archipelago The earthquake was very large but it did little damage There were no buildings or people on the Rat Islands Slight cracks formed in wooden buildings on nearby islands Two bridges Shifting of the earth’s tectonic plates can cause large cracks in the ground

The 12 Worst Earthquakes of All Time — page 2 — Tsunami hazard zones are now identified in Alaska itself Shemya Island experienced tsunami waves about 35 feet 10 7 m high Flooding occurred Damage was worst on Amchitka Island Property losses there totaled 10,000 or 78,000 in 2018 dollars 0 Deaths reported from this large earthquake The earthquake did little damage because of its remote location The temblor measured 8 7 on the Richter scale Tsunami waves caused more damage than the earthquake were destroyed Some asphalt runways were damaged The shifting of the earth’s tectonic plates caused a tsunami This did more damage than the earthquake WHY DO EARTHQUAKES HAPPEN Earthquakes occur when two large pieces of the earth’s crust slip and move These moving pieces are called tectonic plates The movement causes shock waves They make the earth’s surface shake This shaking is what we call an earthquake Smaller movements before and after an earthquake are called foreshocks and aftershocks

The 12 Worst Earthquakes of All Time — page 3 — 2 Indonesian Islands Devastated by Powerful Temblor When disaster struck on the Indonesian islands of Nias and Simeulue many people were already tucked into bed At 11:09 p.m. on the night of March 28 2005 an earthquake took place underwater The quake measured 8.7 on the Richter scale Islanders jumped up and ran for safety The people had reason to be afraid A deadly earthquake had hit months before That temblor caused a tsunami An estimated 280,000 people in 11 countries died The people of Nias and Simeulue feared another tsunami As people fled fires broke out Nearly 70 percent of buildings in the

The 12 Worst Earthquakes of All Time — page 4 — 2 Minutes the earthquake lasted The quake measured 8.7 on the Richter scale Nearly 70 percent of buildings in the Nias capital Gunungsitoli were destroyed People worried a tsunami would hit the islands Aftershocks hours after the quake worried islanders DOUBLING THE DAMAGE Earthquakes can cause massive destruction But often the tsunamis they create cause even more damage Tsunamis are giant waves created by earthquakes or volcanic eruptions under the sea A tsunami wave starts out small But as it travels closer to land it builds Some tsunami waves are many stories high They can wipe out entire towns Nias capital Gunungsitoli were destroyed People were buried under debris There was no power Rescuers struggled to save victims Many people pulled from the wreckage were dead Aftershocks followed the earthquake People on Nias Simeulue and nearby islands were afraid to stay home They worried another quake or a tsunami would come About 1,000 people died Tens of thousands lost their homes The tsunami stranded this ship on top of a building

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