Today in Earthquake History

On August 15th...

• M8.0 - Near the Coast of Central Peru, 2007

  At least 514 people killed, 1,090 injured and more than 39,700 buildings damaged or destroyed. The majority of the casualties and damage occurred in Chincha Alta, Ica and Pisco. Widespread communication and power outages occurred in the area. The Panamerican Highway, the Carretera Central and other main transport routes were heavily damaged due to landslides and cracks. Felt (IX) at Chincha Alta and Pisco; (VII) at Ica and San Vicente de Canete; (VI) at Lima; (V) at Cusco; (IV) at Arequipa; (III) at Trujillo. Felt at Abancay, Ayacucho, Cajamarca, Chaclacayo, Chillca, Chimbote, Chosica, Cocachacra, Huacho, Huanuco, Huaraz, Huarmey, Imperial, La Oroya, Lambayeque, Mala, Nazca, Nuevo Imperial, Pachacamac, Pucallpa, Quillabamba, San Luis, Urubamba and Viru. Felt (III) at Bogota, Colombia and (II) at La Serena, Chile. Also felt at Coquimbo and Iquique, Chile; at Guayaquil and Quito, Ecuador; at La Paz, Bolivia and at Manaus, Brazil. Possible earthquake lights observed at Lima.

• M4.9 - Turkmenistan-Iran Border, 1985

  Moderate damage (VII) in the Berhida-Peremarton area. Slight damage at Budapest. Felt throughout western Hungary. Felt (VI) at Komarno, (V) at Nove Zamky and Hurbanovo and (IV) at Bratislava, Czechoslovakia. Also felt at Zagreb, Yugoslavia and (III) in Burgenland and at Vienna, Austria.

• M8.6 - Eastern Xizang-India Border, 1950

  Called the "Assam-Tibet" Earthquake. 1,526 deaths. One of the largest earthquakes in the World. At least 780 people killed and many buildings collapsed in the Nyingchi-Qamdo-Zhamo (Rima, Zayu) area of eastern Tibet. Sandblows, ground cracks and large landslides occurred in the area. In the Medog area, the village of Yedong slid into the Yarlung Zangbo (Brahmaputra) River and was washed away.