Earthquakes can happen just about anywhere with no real warning. You can just be sitting there and then all of a sudden the ground underneath you begins to shake. Strong earthquakes have happened in all 50 of the United States. Some quakes have been so memorable that people all around the country remember them, whether they actually felt the quake or not. Hold on tight, preferably in a door frame or some other safe place as these are the Top 5 earthquakes that rocked America.
Oklahoma – November 5th, 2011
At 10:53 pm on November the 5th of 2011 there was a rumbling of the ground near the city of Prague, Oklahoma. It measured about 5.7 on the Richter scale but reports were that no one was killed by the earthquake. Although there were no deaths reported, there were plenty of reports of damage, mostly to people’s homes. There were reports that U.S. Route 62 had buckled in 3 different locations but no one was killed. The National Weather Service reported that at the time of the earthquake several bats, birds, and insects around the area took flight and were affected by the seismic energy of the earthquake.
Alaska – July 22nd, 2020
Out on the Alaskan peninsula, the area felt a shake on July 22nd at 10:12 at night. The earthquake measured 7.8 on the Richter scale making it one of the strongest the area has ever felt. However, the earthquake was centered around the small town of Perryville, Alaska out on the Alaska Peninsula, so while the quake was very strong, no one was actually hurt. The damage was limited to docks near the water and cracks in the cement of the roads. The shaking was felt in faraway places like Vancouver and Victoria in Canada.
Montana – August 18th, 1959
The ground shook in southern Montana on the 18th of August in 1959. The quake registered a 7.2 on the Richter scale and is currently the strongest earthquake to hit the state of Montana. The quake caused a large landslide that killed 28 people and did $11 million worth of damage. The landslide blocked the flow of the Madison River and helped create Quake Lake. It was felt in surrounding states like Idaho and Wyoming and some even felt it to a less extent in far awake places like Hawaii and Puerto Rico.
Loma Prieta, California – October 17th, 1989
This Earthquake happened at 5:04 pm in the coastal areas of San Fransisco on October 17, 1989, and registered 6.9 on the Richter scale. What makes it most memorable is that it occurred in the opening moments of the third game of the World Series in baseball between the Oakland Athletics and the San Francisco Giants, both teams local to the area. The game was played at Candlestick Park and was being broadcast on live TV when the quake hit. It is said that having such a high profile sporting event between these two teams of the area kept many people at home. 63 people were killed during the earthquake with many buildings collapsing and parts of the Bay Bridge including the upper deck of the bridge collapsing onto the lower deck.
San Francisco, California – April 18th, 1906
This was one of the most famous earthquakes to happen in the United States. The ground started shaking around 5 am and registered a 7.9 on the Richter scale. Several building collapses and fires occurred around the San Fransico area and ultimately killed over 3,000 people. It ranks as the deadliest natural disaster in the state of California in its history. Several movies and other media have either taken from this disaster or were inspired by the events surrounding this Earthquake.
