Top Ten Earthquakes in the U.S.

Earth Tremors from 7.9 to 9.2 on the Richter Scale

Nov 26, 2008

Alaska scores the highest with eight out of the top ten earthquakes, followed by Missouri and California.

Earthquakes occur almost every day in the U.S., though most of them are undetected by the general public. When a disastrous earthquake happens, it is remembered forever.

According to Fact Monster, the following earthquakes are the ten largest recorded in the U.S.:

Prince William Sound, Alaska

The Great Alaska Earthquake ranks the third largest in the world. Anchorage, Valdez, Seward and Kodiak Island suffered extensive damage. This earthquake also spawned a large tsunami that struck the Pacific Coast of Canada and the U.S. plus the Hawaiian Islands.

Andreanof Islands, Alaska

The Andreanof Islands are part of the Aleutian Islands in Alaska which separate the Bering Sea from the Pacific Ocean. Bridges and docks in the area were destroyed. The earthquake triggered the eruption of Mount Vsevidof which had been dormant for over 200 years. It created a tsunami which caused extensive damage in Hawaii.

Rat Islands, Alaska

The Rat Islands are located in the westernmost part of the Aleutian Islands in Alaska. This is an earthquake prone area because it is where the Pacific and North American tectonic plates meet. Several of the islands within the chain experienced damage from flooding due to a tsunami.

East of Shumagin Islands, Alaska

The Shumagin Islands are located in the Aleutian Islands close to the mainland of Alaska. This earthquake occurred underwater and in a sparsely populated area. Tremors were felt in Anchorage. A small tsunami was spawned and did very little damage to Dutch Harbor, Sitka and Seward.

Lituya Bay, Alaska

Lituya Bay is a fjord located in southeastern Alaska in the Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve. The earthquake spawned a massive tsunami in the Bay and several landslides. Fishing boats were tossed on top of trees. Some areas of the shoreline sunk into the ocean.

Yakutat Bay, Alaska

Yakutat Bay is located in southeastern Alaska. There were two earthquakes in the area which occurred a week apart. There was only one settlement in the area and it was 30 miles from the bay so it did not suffer any damage. The landscape changed dramatically with new uplifts and depressions.

Near Cape Yakataga, Alaska

Cape Yakataga is located on the Gulf of Alaska approximately 280 miles southeast of Anchorage. This earthquake occurred one week before the tremor at Yakutat Bay, approximately 90 miles away. There was minor damage to the populated areas but landslides and uplifts of land were discovered.

Andreanof Islands, Alaska

There was minor damage to buildings on Adak and Atka Islands. In some areas, there were cracks in the ground with slight uplifts and depressions.

New Madrid, Missouri

The New Madrid Earthquake was one of the rarer events occurring east of the coastal mountains. The tremor caused fissures and land warping in Kentucky, Missouri, Tennessee and Arkansas. Along the Mississippi River, islands disappeared and massive waves overturned boats. River banks fell into the water and the course of the Mississippi was permanently changed.

Fort Tejon, California

This earthquake left a rupture scar of at least 225 miles along the San Andreas Fault approximately 75 miles northwest of Bakersfield. The hardest hit region was sparsely populated so there was only minor damage to property. Some rivers and lakes flooded or changed their courses.

For an up-to-date report, the US Geological Survey has a webpage that shows all earthquakes that have occurred in the U.S. over the last seven days.

The copyright of the article Top Ten Earthquakes in the U.S. in Earthquakes & Avalanches is owned by Maureen K. Fleury. Permission to republish Top Ten Earthquakes in the U.S. in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.