Where can I find a list of the largest earthquakes near my town?
Use our online earthquake catalog to search for past earthquakes in your region. Define your search area by drawing a rectangle on a map or by inputting data for a rectangle or circle.
Go to our Earthquake Information by Region website and scroll down to find information about earthquakes in each state.
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Where can I search an earthquake catalog for past events?
Which country has the most earthquakes?
Which state has the most earthquakes that cause damage? Which state has the most earthquakes (not human-induced)?
Where do earthquakes occur?
Where can I find a list of the largest earthquakes in the United States? In the world?
Where can I find a list of yearly estimated deaths from earthquakes around the world?
Which states have the smallest number of earthquakes? Is there any place in the world that doesn't have earthquakes?
The 1964 Great Alaska Earthquake and Tsunami
On March 27th, 1964, the second largest instrumentally recorded earthquake worldwide rocked southern Alaska for 4 to 5 minutes. In addition to the earthquake, the event triggered a major tsunami that caused casualties and damage from the Kodiak Islands to northern California.
2004 Deadliest in Nearly 500 Years for Earthquakes
According to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), 2004 was the deadliest year for earthquakes since the Renaissance Age, making it the second most fatal in recorded history, with more than 275,950 deaths reported from the magnitude 9.0 earthquake and subsequent tsunami that hit the Indian Ocean on Dec. 26.
U.S. Suffers Largest Earthquake of 2002
The magnitude 7.9 quake that hit Central Alaska on November 3 was the world’s biggest earthquake in 2002, and the largest to hit the United States since 1996 when another 7.9 hit Alaska’s Andreanof Islands.
Damage from South Napa Earthquake
Damaged unreinforced masonry building on Main Street in downtown Napa, California. Photograph credit: Erol Kalkan, USGS
Earthquake damage to chimney
House damage from earthquake.
Earthquake-damaged building
Building damanged by the February 2011 earthquake in Christchurch, New Zealand.
Washington Monument Damaged from Mineral, VA Earthquake
Photo of the pyramid top of the Washington Monument from the U.S Park Police Helicopter.
US map depicting earthquake loss by county
Figure 3-4
This map depicts annualized earthquake loss by county. The estimated losses consider the value of buildings in each specific area.
Marina District, San Francisco, after the 1989 Loma Prieta Earthquake
Ground view of collapsed building and burned area at Beach and Divisadero Streets, Marina District, San Francisco, following the October 17, 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake. At 5:04:15 p.m. (PDT), the magnitude 6.9 (moment magnitude; surface-wave magnitude, 7.1) earthquake severely shook the San Francisco and Monterey Bay regions. The epicenter was located at 37.04° N.
...Collapse of Fourth Avenue near C Street, Anchorage, due to earthquake
Collapse of Fourth Avenue near C Street, Anchorage, due to the great alaska earthquake of March 27, 1964 which caused a landslide. Before the earthquake, the sidewalk at left, which is in the graben, was at street level on the right. The graben subsided 11 feet in response to 14 feet of horizontal movement. Anchorage district, Cook Inlet region, Alaska. March 1964.
...East vs West Coast Earthquakes
Map of USGS “Did You Feel It?” data shows that earthquakes east of the Rocky Mountains are felt over larger areas than earthquakes in the West.