Earthquake Information for 2008
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Deaths from Earthquakes for 2008
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Earthquake with the most casualties for 2008
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May 12, Eastern Sichuan, China, M7.9
At least
69,195 people killed, 374,177 injured and 18,392 missing and
presumed dead in the Chengdu-Lixian-Guangyuan area. More than
45.5 million people in 10 provinces and regions were affected.
At least 15 million people were evacuated from their homes and
more than 5 million were left homeless. An estimated 5.36
million buildings collapsed and more than 21 million buildings
were damaged in Sichuan and in parts of Chongqing, Gansu, Hubei,
Shaanxi and Yunnan. The total economic loss was estimated at 86
billion US dollars. Beichuan, Dujiangyan, Wuolong and Yingxiu
were almost completely destroyed. Landslides and rockfalls
damaged or destroyed several mountain roads and railways and
buried buildings in the Beichuan-Wenchuan area, cutting off
access to the region for several days. At least 700 people were
buried by a landslide at Qingchuan. Landslides also dammed
several rivers, creating 34 barrier lakes which threatened about
700,000 people downstream. A train was buried by a landslide
near Longnan, Gansu. At least 2,473 dams sustained some damage
and more than 53,000 km of roads and 48,000 km of tap water
pipelines were damaged. About 1.5 km of surface faulting was
observed near Qingchuan, surface cracks and fractures occurred
on three mountains in the area, and subsidence and street cracks
were observed in the city itself. Maximum intensity XI was
assigned in the Wenchuan area. Felt (VIII) at Deyang and
Mianyang; (VII) at Chengdu; (VI) at Luzhou and Xi'an; (V) at
Chongqing, Guozhen, Lanzhou, Leshan, Wu'an, Xichang and Ya'an.
Felt in much of central, eastern and southern China, including
Beijing, Guangzhou, Hefei, Nanjing, Shanghai, Tianjin, Wuhan and
in Hong Kong. Also felt in parts of Bangladesh, Taiwan, Thailand
and Vietnam. Seiches were observed at Kotalipara, Bangladesh.
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United States Earthquakes for 2008
- Largest in:
- 6.6 -- Alaska, April 16 -- Andreanof Islands, Aleutian Islands
- 6.6 -- Alaska, May 02 -- Andreanof Islands, Aleutian Islands
- 6.0 -- Nevada, February 21 -- Nevada
- 5.5 -- California, July 29 -- Greater Los Angeles Area
- 4.6 -- Wyoming, December 28
- 4.2 -- Oregon, July 14
- 4.3 -- Hawaii, September 20 -- Island of Hawaii
- 4.0 -- Washington, July 31 -- Puget Sound region
- 3.7 -- Idaho, November 26 -- Southern Idaho
- 3.7 -- Utah, June 06
- 3.6 -- Montana, August 20