The Worst Earthquakes of 2020
Natural disasters seem to be part and
parcel of 2020, making it the worst year on record for many. Earthquakes
stretched the far reaches of the world this year, all the way from China to bucket
list destinations like the Caribbean, and Iran, Russia, Philippines,
India, and Turkey. In 2020, 45 earthquakes with over 6 magnitudes were
recorded. Here are some of the worst:
January Earthquake in Turkey
A magnitude 6.7 earthquake that hit Turkey
on the 24th of January is responsible for claiming the lives of 41 people
and injuring over 1,600 others. The country’s eastern provinces of Elazig and
Malatya provinces were the hardest hit with thousands of residents displaced
from their homes, although the earthquake was also felt in the neighboring
countries of Armenia, Syria, and Iran. Unfortunately, this wasn’t the only
earthquake to hit the region in 2020, with it lying on the active North
Anatolian Fault, between the Anatolian and Eurasian tectonic plates.
Earthquake and Tsunami Together
On the 30th of October 2020,
Turkey was again struck by another earthquake, this time in the Izmir province.
The magnitude 7 earthquake also hit the Greek island
of Samos, resulting in a tsunami that brought with it further destruction. In
total 119 lives were lost in the natural disaster, some 1,034 were injured,
many buildings were damaged or collapsed, and rescue efforts were extensive.
The earthquake was the deadliest of the
year and the most powerful recorded in the Aegean Sea since 1981. Prior to
this, the deadliest earthquake in Turkey’s Izmir province occurred in 1955 with
a 6.6 magnitude quake that claimed the lives of four people.
Earthquake at Russia's Kuril Islands
A 7.5 magnitude earthquake struck Russia’s
Kuril Islands on the 25th of March 2020. A volcanic archipelago, the
Kuril Islands stretch approximately 1,300 km northeast of Hokkaido and
contain some 56 islands. While the earthquake generated Tsunami warnings and a
possible threat to Japan, but thankfully no casualties were reported.
Alaska Peninsula Earthquake
On the 21st of July, a magnitude
7.8 earthquake struck undersea, some 65 miles off the coast of Alaska. Although
this was the strongest earthquake recorded in 2020 by magnitude, it caused severe damages. It did however prompt the evacuation of several coastal areas
as a preventative measure in the case of a tsunami. The fact that there wasn’t
one was as lucky as the players that check this site.
Mexico’s Oaxaca earthquake
A magnitude 7.4 earthquake struck the Mexican
state of Oaxaca on the 23rd of June 2020. The quake, whose epicenter
was recorded near San Miguel del Puerto, was felt by close to 50 million people
in both Mexico and Guatemala. Thousands of homes were damaged as a result of
the earthquake, and 10 deaths were recorded.
Iran Earthquake
On the 23rd of February, an
earthquake near Khoy in north-west Iran was recorded at a magnitude of 5.8. The
earthquake, whose epicenter was Qotur district, took the lives of 9 people in
Başkale in the Van province of neighboring Turkey. Just as the area as
recovering, a magnitude 6 earthquake hit the same place about 10 hours after
the first.
