In Valdivia, Chile, 1960, the most powerful earthquake ever recorded struck. At a 9.6, this earthquake was estimated to have killed up to 7,000 people. It occurred in the afternoon and lasted about 10 minutes. This quake could be felt throughout Southern Chile, Hawaii, Japan, the Philippines, Eastern NZ, South-east Australia and the Aleutian Islands.
The 1855 Wairapapa Earthquake
The third largest earthquake since 1900 was in Sumatra, Indonesia, December 26, 2004. The earthquake also led to tsunami in 14 different countries. Rated at an amazing 9.1 on the Richter Scale, had 227,898 deaths. It was also the largest earthquake since the 1964 Prince William Sound, Alaska Temblor.
Kaikoura Earthquake
In 2016, a whopping 7.8-rated earthquake hit Kaikoura, South Island, NZ. Over 1.8 billion dollars of insurance claims were received! However, luckily, only two people didn't survive this incident. In Goose Bay, a massive tsunami towered at around 7 metres, following the strike, too.
Kashmir, Pakistan
In Tohoku, Japan, March 11, 2011, there was an earthquake that was rated at a 9, the strongest earthquake to ever hit Japan. Considered in the Top 5 Largest Earthquakes in the World, the earthquake claimed 15,878 lives, 6,126 were injured and 2,173 went missing. 129,225 buildings were destroyed. With fires, tsunamis and damages in road and railways, it was the most difficult crisis for Japan since WW2.
The most devastating earthquake in history was in Shensi, China, January 23, 1556. With more than 830,000 deaths, it was felt throughout almost the whole country. People today think that it was around a magnitude of 8. Some factors that could help explain why there were so many deaths could be that there was a lot of people in a small place and that the buildings were poorly constructed compared to the earthquake-safe designs we have now.
The most devastating earthquake
The third largest earthquake since 1900 was in Sumatra, Indonesia, December 26, 2004. Rated at an amazing 9.1 on the Richter Scale, had 227,898 deaths. It was also the largest earthquake since the 1964 Prince William Sound, Alaska Temblor. The earthquake also led to tsunami in 14 different countries.
The third largest earthquake since 1900
The third largest earthquake since 1900 was in Sumatra, Indonesia, December 26, 2004. Rated at an amazing 9.1 on the Richter Scale, had 227,898 deaths. It was also the largest earthquake since the 1964 Prince William Sound, Alaska Temblor. The earthquake also led to tsunami in 14 different countries.
The Christchurch Disaster
On February 22, 2011, there was a massive earthquake in Christchurch. Sadly, 185 people died at this tragic incident. Rated at a 6.3 on the Richter Scale, this was a pretty big earthquake, but there have been larger. This was the fifth worst disaster in New Zealand's history. A record-high 630 million dollars was payed out, so let's just say that in 2011 it was not a great year for insurers. The pay-out is still an ongoing problem, as some people were not payed enough. The massive quake was then followed by around ten aftershocks, each at an average of a scale of 4.
The Haiti Disaster
In late November, 2018, an earthquake that was rated a 7.1 shook Alaska. 117 residents were injured from this shake. This earthquake was also followed by over 80 aftershocks including a 5.7.
Alaska, 2018
In late November, 2018, an earthquake that was rated a 7.1 shook Alaska. 117 residents were injured from this shake. This earthquake was also followed by a 5.7 aftershock,
