1. Valdivia Earthquake, Southern Chile
Magnitude: 9.5 Mw
Deaths: 1,655
Date: May 22nd, 1960
2,000,000 homeless, 1,655 dead, and 3,000 injured. Damage in southern Chile totaling $550 million as a result. It’s top of the strongest earthquakes ever on earth.
2. Great Alaskan Earthquake
Magnitude: 9.2
Deaths: 141
Date: Mar 27th, 1964
The 1964 Alaskan earthquake was a megathrust earthquake that began at 5:36 P.M. AST on Good Friday, March 27, 1964. Across south-central Alaska, ground fissures, collapsing structures.
And, tsunamis resulting from the earthquake caused about 143 deaths. It had a magnitude of 9.2, at the time making it the second largest earthquake in recorded history. The shaking lasted about 4 minutes.
3. Indian Ocean Earthquake and Tsunami
Magnitude: 9.1 Mw
Deaths: 227,898
Date: Dec 26th, 2004
The earthquake was caused by subduction and triggered a series of devastating tsunamis along the coasts of most landmasses bordering the Indian Ocean. Causing more than 230,000 deaths over fourteen countries and destroying coastal villages with waves as high as 30 meters (98 feet).
In recorded history, it was one of the deadliest natural disasters. The worst-affected countries were Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India, and Thailand.
4. Tohoku Earthquake and Tsunami, Japan
Magnitude: 9.0 Mw
Deaths: 15,870
Date: Mar 11th, 2011
Great East Japan Earthquake was a magnitude 9.03 (Mw) undersea megathrust earthquake off the coast of Japan. C onsidered to be the strongest earthquake to ever strike Japan.
5. Kamchatka Earthquakes, Russia
Magnitude: 9.0 Mw
Date: Nov 4th, 1952
The world’s first recorded magnitude 9.0 earthquake struck off the east coast of Kamchatka in 1952. The quake generated a 43-foot tsunami (13 m) locally.
The main earthquake struck at 16:58 GMT on November 4, 1952. Initially assigned a magnitude of 8.2, the quake was revised to 9.0 Mw and a period of about 17 minutes, in later years.
