Major earthquake. The most destructive earthquakes in history

There are about a million earthquakes on Earth each year, most of which are so small that most people mistake them for a loaded car driving down a nearby street. However, really strong points and shifts of the earth's crust in densely populated areas turn into a real tragedy, during which tens of thousands of people die and entire cities can turn into ruins. Meet the ten most destructive earthquakes.

10. Lisbon earthquake

One of the most devastating earthquakes occurred on November 1, 1755, the epicenter of which was at the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean, 200 kilometers from the coast of southern Portugal. The strongest tremors, tsunamis and fires claimed the lives of more than 100,000 people. The capital of Portugal, Lisbon has practically disappeared from the face of the earth, including the royal palace, the opera house and several cathedrals, burying thousands of works of art and tens of thousands of priceless manuscripts.

9. Messina earthquake

From one of the strongest earthquakes in Europe, which occurred on December 28, 1908, Sicily and Italy suffered, during which about 120,000 people died. The epicenter of the tremors layer 7.5 was in the Strait of Messina, which led to just a huge tsunami that hit the coast, literally sweeping away everything in its path. The tragedy was exacerbated by numerous underwater landslides that increased the height of the waves and the very precarious, fragile buildings that were traditionally built in Messini. By the way, 18 days after the earthquake, rescuers were able to pull two children out of the rubble.

8 Gansu Earthquake

One of the most destructive and deadly earthquakes occurred on December 16, 1920 in the Chinese province of Gansu. The force of the shocks was about 7.8 points on the Richter scale, which led to the destruction of entire cities and villages, in which not a single whole building remained. And also significant damage was caused to such large cities as Lanzhou, Taiyuan and Xi'an. Vibrations from this earthquake were recorded even in Norway. More than 270,000 people died under the rubble and landslides, which is 59% of the population of Gansu at that time.

7 Chile Earthquake

It was one of the strongest earthquakes in the history of mankind on May 22, 1960 in Chile, the strength of which at the epicenter reached 9.5 points, and the fault was 1000 kilometers. Due to the natural disaster, 1,655 people died, 3,000 people were injured, about 2 million people were left homeless, and losses were inflicted on half a billion dollars. The tsunami resulting from this earthquake reached the coasts of Japan, the Philippines and Hawaii and caused significant damage to coastal settlements. In some areas of Chile, the waves were so big that some of the houses were abandoned 3 kilometers deep into the continent.

6 Kobe Earthquake

On January 17, 1995, one of the most devastating earthquakes in Japanese history occurred in the Kobo region. Although the magnitude of the tremors was 7.2, the epicenter was in a very densely populated area. The earthquake killed more than 5,000 people, injured 26,000 people and made about 10 million people homeless. $200 billion in damages were caused, a kilometer of freeway disappeared from the surface of the earth in a few minutes, several hundred thousand buildings were destroyed, and the work of the large transport company Hanshin Express was paralyzed for several weeks.

5 Kanto Earthquake

The Kanto earthquake on September 1, 1923 was the most destructive in Japanese history. The natural disaster almost completely destroyed Tokyo and Yokohama, where about 175,000 people died, and about one million people turned out to be homeless, about 200 thousand buildings were also destroyed or burned down. Destroyed communications and damaged water pipes did not allow the authorities to provide timely assistance to people and effectively deal with the consequences of the disaster.

4. Earthquake off the coast of Sumatra

An earthquake off the western coast of Sumatra on December 26, 2004, took part in all the countries of the Indian Ocean. The force of the shocks was 9.1 on the Richter scale, but the deadliest was the tsunami, which claimed the lives of at least 230,000 people. The reason for the large number of victims was an undeveloped early warning system for the tsunami in the Indian Ocean. The previous earthquake near Sumatra occurred in 2002, according to experts, this was a preliminary seismic activity before the big shift of the Indian plate. Then, during 2005, there were several more shocks, which, however, did not cause much harm to the countries.

3. Earthquake in Haiti

The earthquake in Haiti, which occurred on January 12, 2012, almost completely destroyed the capital of this island nation, Port-au-Prince. In just a few minutes, half of the city's population was left without a roof over their heads, and about 230,000 people died. Haiti is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, so the main assistance to the victims was provided by international organizations. Five years after the tragedy, about 80,000 still live in tents.

2. Tohoku earthquake

An earthquake at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean near the Japanese province of Tohoku has become the second largest nuclear disaster after the explosion of the Chernobyl power plant. 108 kilometers of the ocean day rose 8 meters in 6 minutes, which led to the appearance of a giant tsunami. Giant waves hit the northern islands of Japan, severely damaging several blocks at the Fukushima nuclear power plant, which led to radioactive contamination of large areas that became uninhabitable. During the tragedy, 15,889 people died and about 2,500 people went missing.

1. Tangshan earthquake

In the Chinese city of Tangshan, on July 28, 1976, an earthquake measuring 8.2 on the Richter scale occurred, which turned out to be destroyed almost to the ground. The scale of the tragedy was reinforced by numerous mine workings. The cities of Tianjin and Beijing were also seriously affected by the tremors. The Chinese authorities tried to limit the leakage of information on the scale of the tragedy, which was not known abroad for a long time, and the number of victims was deliberately reduced. According to official figures, about 250,000 people died, but they say that the real number of victims reaches 800,000 people. More than 5.3 million houses were also destroyed, making them uninhabitable.

More than 650,000 people died and more than 780,000 people were injured during a devastating earthquake in northeast China. On the Richter scale, the force of the shocks reached 8.2 and 7.9 points, but in terms of the number of destructions, it comes out on top. The first, stronger shock occurred on July 28, 1976 at 3:40, when almost all the inhabitants were asleep. The second, a few hours later, on the same day. The epicenter of the earthquake was located in the millionth city of Tangshan. Even after a few months, instead of the city, there was a space of 20 square kilometers, which consisted entirely of ruins.

The most curious testimonies about the Tangshan earthquake were published in 1977 by Sinna and Larisa Lomnitz, at the National University of Mexico. They wrote that immediately before the first tremor, for many kilometers around the sky was lit up with radiance. And after the shock, the trees and plants around the city looked like they had been walked over by a steam roller, and the remaining bushes sticking out in some places were burned on one side.

One of the strongest earthquakes in the history of mankind - a magnitude of 8.6 on the Richter scale - swept through the remote province of Gansu in China in 1920. A powerful jolt turned the rickety, animal-skinned dwellings of local residents into ruins. 10 ancient cities in one minute turned into ruins. 180 thousand inhabitants died and another 20 thousand died from the cold, left without their homes.

In addition to the destruction that was caused directly by the earthquake itself and the failures of the earth's surface, the situation was aggravated by the landslides provoked by it. Not only that, the territory of Gansu is a mountainous area. But it still abounds with caves with deposits of loess - fine and mobile sand. These strata, like streams of water, rushed down the slopes of the mountains, dragging heavy blocks of stone, as well as giant pieces of peat and turf.

3. The most powerful - by the number of points

The most powerful earthquake, which even seismographs were not able to measure, because the arrows went off scale, broke out on August 15, 1950 in Assam, India. It claimed the lives of more than 1000 people. Later, the earthquake began to attribute a force of 9 on the Richter scale. The force of the shocks was so colossal that it caused confusion in the calculations of seismologists. American seismologists decided that it happened in Japan, and Japanese - that in the United States.

In the Assam zone, the situation is no less complicated. Catastrophic aftershocks shook the earth for 5 days, opening gaps and closing them again, sending fountains of hot steam and superheated liquid into the sky, swallowing entire villages. Dams were damaged, cities and towns were flooded. The local population fled from the elements on the trees. The destruction then surpassed the losses caused by the second largest earthquake that occurred in the area in 1897. Then 1542 people died.

1) Tangshan earthquake (1976); 2) to Gansu (1920); 3) in Assam (India 1950); 4) in Messina (1908).

4. The most powerful - in the history of Sicily

The Strait of Messina - between Sicily and the toe of the "Italian boot" - has always had a bad reputation. In ancient times, the Greeks believed that the terrible monsters Scylla and Charybdis lived there. In addition, during the centuries, earthquakes occurred from time to time in the area of ​​the strait and adjacent areas. But none of them is comparable in scale to what happened on December 28, 1908. It began in the early morning, when most people were still sleeping.

There was only one tremor recorded at the Messina Observatory at 5:10 AM. Then a dull rumble was heard, growing louder, and movements began to occur under the surface of the water of the strait, rapidly spreading to the east and west. After some time, Reggio, Messina and other coastal cities and villages on both sides of the strait were in ruins. Then the sea unexpectedly retreated 50 meters along the coast of Sicily, from Messina to Catania, and then a wave 4-6 meters high hit the coast, flooding the coastal lowlands.

From the side of Calabria, the wave was higher, as a result of the damage, more. In the Reggio region, the earthquake was stronger than in all other places in Sicily. But most of the casualties were in Messina, the largest of the affected cities, which is also a center of tourism, with a large number of magnificent hotels.

Help could not arrive in time due to the complete lack of communication with the rest of Italy. The next morning, Russian naval sailors landed in Messina. The Russians had doctors who provided first aid to the victims. 600 armed Russian sailors began to restore order. On the same day, the British Navy arrived, and with their help, control was fully restored.

5. The most terrifying in terms of the number of victims is in South America

None of the earthquakes in the history of South America did not take so many lives as what happened on January 24, 1939 in Chile. Erupting at 11:35 p.m., it took the unsuspecting residents by surprise. 50 thousand people died, 60 thousand were injured and 700 thousand were left homeless.

The city of Concepción lost 70% of its buildings, ranging from old churches to the shacks of the poor. Hundreds of mines were filled up, the miners who worked in them were buried alive.

5) Chile earthquake (1939); 6) in Ashgabat (Turkmenistan 1948); 7) in Armenia (1988); 8) in Alaska (1964).

It happened in Ashgabat (Turkmenistan) on October 6, 1948. It was the most severe earthquake on the territory of the USSR in the first half of the 20th century. The cities of Ashgabat, Batir and Bezmein suffered from underground strikes with a force of 9–10 points. Analyzing the consequences of the disaster, scientists came to the conclusion that the destruction is the result of an unfortunate combination of adverse factors, primarily the poor quality of buildings.

According to some sources, more than 10 thousand people died then. Others say 10 times more. Both of these figures were classified for a long time, as, indeed, all information about natural disasters and catastrophes on Soviet territory.

7. The strongest earthquake in the Caucasus in the XX century

1988, December 7 - at 11:41 a.m. Moscow time, an earthquake occurred in Armenia, which destroyed the city of Spitak, destroyed the cities of Leninakan, Stepanavan, Kirovakan. 58 villages in the north-west of the republic were turned into ruins, almost 400 villages were partially destroyed. Tens of thousands of people died, 514 thousand people were left homeless. Over the past 80 years, this was the most powerful earthquake in the Caucasus.

Panel buildings, as it turned out later, collapsed due to the fact that numerous violations of technology were made during their installation.

8. The most powerful - in the history of the United States

It happened on the coast of Alaska on March 27, 1964 (about 8.5 on the Richter scale). The epicenter was located 120 km east of the city of Anchorage, and Anchorage itself and the settlements around Prince William Sound were most affected. To the north of the epicenter, the earth has sunk 3.5 meters, and to the south it has risen by at least two. The underground element caused a tsunami that devastated forests and port facilities along the coasts of Alaska, British Columbia, Oregon and Northern California and reached the Antarctic.

A lot of damage was caused by snowfalls, avalanches and landslides. The relatively small number of victims - 131 people - is due to the sparsely populated area, but there were other factors as well. The earthquake began in the morning at 5:36 a.m., during the holidays when schools and businesses were closed; there were almost no fires. In addition, due to the accompanying low tide, the seismic wave was not as high as it could be.

30.09.2014

Earthquakes are compared to the trembling of the earth. From the displacement of the earth's crust, cities are destroyed and people die. Many of them will forever be remembered by us for their enormous losses and huge number of victims. So,

The strongest earthquakes

10.

The strongest earthquakes in the world shake Asia. A natural disaster in China that broke out in the winter of 1556 claimed the lives of 830,000. Damage from the elements of such magnitude as in the provinces of Henan and Shaanxi has not happened so far. Its magnitude reached 9 points. The villages that fell into its zone of action were completely destroyed. 20-meter cracks and dips formed in the epicenter.

9.

The next most powerful earthquake occurred in the vastness of China in the summer of 1976 in the North-Eastern part of the country. The epicenter was the city of Tangshan. According to official studies, the magnitude of the disaster was 7.8, and the number of victims reached 200,000. However, the data was greatly underestimated, because other sources set the magnitude at 8.2, and the number of victims was from 655,000 to 800,000.

8.

Another incident, which is regarded as the strongest earthquake, occurred in India. Its epicenter was the city of Kolkata. There is not much information about him, but the death toll has reached 300,000.

7.

Underwater tremors of the earth are no less dangerous and destructive for the inhabitants of the earth than underground ones. In 2004, in the Indian Ocean, displacements of the earth's crust brought devastation and death to residents in almost twenty states. Its magnitude reached 9 points. Waves measuring 150 meters with unprecedented force hit the coastal cities. According to various sources, the death toll ranges from 255,000 to 300,000.

6.

Not bypassed the strongest earthquakes in the world and Japan. The natural disaster, named after the affected region of Kanto, occurred in September 1923. Some sources call it in honor of the capital - Tokyo. In addition to the destructive forces of nature, fires played a big role, which aggravated the situation. The fire rose up to 60 meters above the gasoline spilled in the port. Due to the destroyed infrastructure, rescuers could not work effectively. The number of victims in this region reached 174,000 people, in general, the number of victims, both physically and economically, reached 4,000,000.

5.

The natural disaster in Ashgabat occurred during the Soviet Union in October 1948 and affected not only the Turkmen people, but also the Russian people. The city was practically destroyed, and among the population, from half to two thirds of its inhabitants died, according to estimates from various sources. After calculating the damage caused by the elements, 110,000 deaths were announced, and in 2010 the country's president announced 176,000 deaths.

4.

The strongest earthquakes claimed 80,000 lives in Lisbon in just 6 minutes. After the tremors, tsunamis and fires followed, which greatly aggravated the situation.

3.

The next loss of the Chinese province of Sichuan was brought by the elements in 2008. The magnitude of the shocks was 8 points, and they were felt not only in Beijing and Shanghai, where buildings began to shake and the evacuation of the population began, they were felt even in eight neighboring countries. The death toll reaches 69,000.

2.

The Assam earthquake in June 1897 became famous for the vastness of the territories on which the destruction was made. An area of ​​390 thousand square kilometers was completely turned into ruins, and, in general, the destruction affected an area of ​​​​650 thousand square kilometers. The death toll was 1500 people.

1.

January 2010 saddened the lives of Haitians with another natural disaster. At the moment, official information on the number of deaths has not been announced, despite the significant amount of time that has passed since then. Independent sources have calculated that only one of the mass graves, which appeared after the disaster, contains about 8,000 bodies. The total death toll from the rampant elements, according to unofficial data, can reach hundreds of thousands of Haitians.

On April 25, 2015, one of the most devastating earthquakes on the planet occurred in Nepal, which claimed the lives of more than 3,000 people and turned many buildings and historical monuments into ruins. According to experts, in the coming week, the people of Nepal may experience new aftershocks. In our review of the 10 most destructive earthquakes that have occurred on Earth over the past century.

1. Valdivia, Chile

This earthquake, which happened in 1960, was the strongest recorded in history, reaching a maximum of 9.5 on the Richter scale. This can be compared to the simultaneous explosion of 1000 atomic bombs. The earthquake was felt not only in Valdivia, but also in the Hawaiian Islands - at a distance of 700 km. During the catastrophe that destroyed Valvidia, Concepción and Puerto Montt, 6,000 people died. Property damage amounted to more than $1 billion.

2. Sumatra, Indonesia

On December 26, 2004, a magnitude 9.3 earthquake hit the bottom of the Indian Ocean, which caused a huge tsunami. It was the second most seismic earthquake in the world, and the longest duration of tremors was recorded. Even the Maldives and Thailand suffered from its consequences, since more than 5 tsunamis hit the entire coast of the Indian Sea. 225,000 people died, and in just the first 10 minutes of the disaster, the damage from it amounted to more than $ 7 billion.

3. Tanshan, China

On July 28, 1976, an earthquake struck the Chinese province of Hebei, leveling the city of Tangshan. 255,000 people died, although the Chinese government initially claimed 655,000 deaths. The magnitude 8.2 quake lasted only 10 seconds, but caused massive damage to the area. Hebei is a region with a very low earthquake risk, so the buildings in Tangshan were not earthquake resistant. The total damage amounted to 10 billion yuan, or $1.3 billion.

4. Tashkent, Uzbekistan, USSR

In the early morning of April 26, 1966, an earthquake of magnitude 8 hit Tashkent. The zone of maximum destruction was 10 square meters. kilometers. 8 people died, 78 thousand families were left homeless. More than 2 million "squares" of buildings were destroyed.

5. Port-au-Prince, Haiti

The magnitude of the earthquake in Haiti on January 12, 2010 was 7.0 on the Richter scale. The epicenter of the tremors was located near Leogane, 25 km west of the capital of Haiti, Port-au-Prince. At least 52 tremors were recorded, which were felt even after 12 days. The earthquake resulted in 316,000 deaths, 300,000 people were injured and more than a million people were left homeless. 250,000 homes and 30,000 commercial buildings were also destroyed.

6. Tohoku, Japan

On March 11, 2011, the east coast of Japan was hit by an earthquake of magnitude 9.03, which was the strongest in the history of the country. The earthquake, considered one of the five largest in the world, resulted in 15,878 deaths, 6,126 injured and 2,173 missing across 20 prefectures. It also destroyed 129,225 buildings, and the tsunami caused by the earthquake caused severe infrastructure damage and fires in many areas. The Fukushima nuclear power plant was badly damaged, which led to radioactive contamination. As a result, Japan faced the biggest crisis since the Second World War.

7. Ashgabat, USSR

This earthquake of magnitude 7.3 occurred on October 6, 1948 near Ashgabat. Due to censorship, it was not reported in the media, so there was no information about casualties and destruction. The number of victims is estimated at 110,000 people, and 98% of all buildings were destroyed in Ashgabat.

8. Sichuan, China

On May 8, 2008, an earthquake of magnitude 8.0 struck the Chinese province of Sichuan. It was so strong that it was felt in neighboring countries, as well as in distant Beijing and Shanghai, where buildings shook from tremors. According to official figures, the death toll was 69,197 people. 374,176 people were injured and 18,222 are considered missing. The Chinese government has allocated 1 trillion yuan or $146.5 billion to rebuild areas that were hit by the earthquake.

9. Kashmir, Pakistan

On October 8, 2005, the disputed region of Pakistan and India, Kashmir was hit by an earthquake measuring 7.6 on the Richter scale. The disaster killed 85,000 people, injured over 69,000 and left 4 million Kashmiris homeless.

10. Izmit, Turkey

A 7.9 magnitude earthquake hit northern Turkey on August 17, 1990. Although it only lasted 3.7 seconds, the city of Izmit was practically reduced to rubble. The official death toll was 17,127 and 43,959 injured, although other sources put the real death toll at 45,000. The earthquake destroyed 120,000 poorly designed houses and badly damaged 50,000 other buildings. More than 300,000 people were left homeless.

Fortunately, despite the time and the elements, today there are places on the planet that you should definitely visit.

In this article, we have collected the most powerful earthquakes in the history of mankind, which became catastrophes of a universal scale.

Every year, experts record about 500,000 tremors. All of them have different strengths, but only some of them are really tangible and cause damage, and a few have a strong destructive power.

1. Chile, May 22, 1960

One of the most terrible earthquakes occurred in 1960 in Chile. Its magnitude was 9.5 points. 1,655 people became victims of this natural phenomenon, more than 3,000 were injured of varying severity, and 2,000,000 were left homeless! Experts calculated that the damage from it amounted to $ 550,000,000. But besides that, this earthquake caused a tsunami that reached the Hawaiian Islands and killed 61 people.

2. Tien Shan, July 28, 1976

The magnitude of the earthquake in the Tien Shan was 8.2 points. This terrible incident, according to the official version alone, claimed the lives of more than 250,000 people, and unofficial sources voiced the figure of 700,000. And this can really be true, because during the earthquake, 5.6 million buildings were completely destroyed.

3. Alaska, March 28, 1964

This earthquake caused 131 deaths. Of course, this is not enough when compared with other cataclysms. But the magnitude of the quake that day was 9.2, destroying virtually every building and causing damage of $2,300,000,000 (inflation-adjusted).

4. Chile, February 27, 2010

This yet another devastating earthquake in Chile has brought considerable damage to the city: millions of destroyed houses, dozens of flooded settlements, broken bridges and freeways. But most importantly, about 1,000 people were killed, 1,200 people were missing, and 1.5 million houses were damaged to varying degrees. Its magnitude was 8.8 points. According to the Chilean authorities, the amount of damage is more than $15,000,000,000.

5. Sumatra, December 26, 2004

The magnitude of the earthquake was 9.1. Massive earthquakes and the ensuing tsunami killed more than 227,000 people. Almost all houses in the city were razed to the ground. In addition to the huge number of affected local residents, more than 9,000 foreign tourists were killed or missing while vacationing in the regions affected by the tsunami.

6. Honshu Island, March 11, 2011

An earthquake that originated on the island of Honshu shook the entire east coast of Japan. In just 6 minutes of a 9-point catastrophe, more than 100 km of the seabed was raised to an 8-meter height and hit the northern islands. Even the Fukushima nuclear power plant was partially damaged, which provoked a radioactive release. Authorities officially put the number of victims at 15,000, local residents claim that these figures are grossly underestimated.

The earthquake in Neftegorsk had a magnitude of 7.6. It completely destroyed the village in just 17 seconds! 55,400 people lived in the territory that fell into the disaster zone. Of these, 2040 died and 3197 were left without a roof over their heads. Neftegorsk was not restored. The affected people were relocated to other settlements.

8. Alma-Ata, January 4, 1911

This earthquake is better known as the Kemin earthquake, since its epicenter fell on the valley of the Bolshoy Kemin River. It is the strongest in the history of Kazakhstan. A characteristic feature of this catastrophe was the long duration of the phase of destructive oscillations. As a result, the city of Almaty was almost completely destroyed, and huge relief breaks formed in the river area, the total length of which was 200 km. In some places, entire houses were buried in the gaps.

9. Kanto Province, September 1, 1923

This earthquake began on September 1, 1923 and lasted 2 days! In total, during this time, 356 tremors occurred in this province of Japan, the first of which were the strongest - the magnitude reached 8.3 points. Due to the change in the position of the seabed, it caused 12-meter tsunami waves. As a result of numerous tremors, 11,000 buildings were destroyed, fires started and strong winds quickly spread the fire. As a result, another 59 buildings and 360 bridges burned down. The official death toll was 174,000 and another 542,000 people are missing. Over 1,000,000 people were left homeless.

10. Himalayas, August 15, 1950

This earthquake occurred in the highlands of Tibet. Its magnitude was 8.6, and its energy corresponded to the force of an explosion of 100,000 atomic bombs. Eyewitness stories about this tragedy were terrifying - a deafening roar erupted from the bowels of the earth, underground vibrations caused people to experience seasickness, and vehicles were thrown 800 m away. One of the sections of the railway track sank 5 m underground. people, but the damage from the disaster amounted to $ 20,000,000.

11. Haiti, January 12, 2010

The strength of the main shock of this earthquake was 7.1 points, but after it a series of repeated oscillations followed, the magnitude of which was 5 points or more. Due to this disaster, 220,000 people died and 300,000 were injured. More than 1,000,000 people lost their homes. The material damage from this catastrophe is estimated at 5,600,000,000 euros.

12. San Francisco, April 18, 1906

The magnitude of the surface waves of this earthquake was 7.7 points. The tremors were felt throughout California. The worst thing is that they provoked the emergence of a huge fire, due to which almost the entire center of San Francisco was destroyed. The list of victims of the disaster included more than 3,000 people. Half the population of San Francisco lost their homes.

13. Messina, December 28, 1908

It was one of the largest earthquakes in Europe. It struck both Sicily and southern Italy, killing approximately 120,000 people. The main epicenter of the tremors, the city of Messina, was actually destroyed. This 7.5 magnitude earthquake was accompanied by a tsunami that hit the entire coast. The death toll was over 150,000.

14. Haiyuan Province, December 16, 1920

This earthquake had a magnitude of 7.8. It destroyed almost all the houses in the cities of Lanzhou, Taiyuan and Xi'an. More than 230,000 people died. Witnesses claimed that the waves from the earthquake were visible even off the coast of Norway.

15. Kobe, January 17, 1995

This is one of the most powerful earthquakes in Japan. His strength was 7.2 points. The destructive force of the impact of this catastrophe was experienced by a significant part of the population of this densely populated area. In total, more than 5,000 people died and 26,000 were injured. A huge number of buildings were razed to the ground. The US Geological Survey estimated all damage at $200,000,000.