Despite 2020 starting with several large earthquakes in Puerto Rico and Jamaica, we wanted to revisit the major global earthquakes of 2019 in a sort of “year in review”. The year compared similarly to the 20 year average, with some standout large and destructive earthquakes.
Most Deadly
Rescue teams look for survivors in the rubble from the Albanian Earthquake.
Credit: Ser Amantio di Nicolao
Albania
- Magnitude: 6.4
- Date: November 26
- Depth: 20 km
- Location: Durres, Albania
- Impact: 52 fatalities, 2,000 injuries, 2,300 buildings damaged.
- Incident Page: https://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/eventpage/us70006d0m/executive
- News Article: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-50562552
Indonesia
- Magnitude: 6.5
- Date: September 25
- Depth: 2 km
- Location: Maluku, Indonesia
- Impact: 41 fatalities, 1,500 injuries, nearly 7,000 homes and buildings damaged. Maluku suffered landslides, rock falls, and soil liquefaction.
- Incident Page: https://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/eventpage/us70005lfd/executive
- News Article: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/indonesia-earthquake-today-island-ambon-maluku-province-deadly-quake-latest-updates-2019-09-26/
Pakistan
- Magnitude: 5.6
- Date: September 24
- Depth: 10 km
- Location: Azad Kashmir, Pakistan
- Impact: 40 fatalities, 700 injured, 4,500 buildings damaged or destroyed, four bridges and several roads damaged.
- Incident Page: https://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/eventpage/us60005mqp/executive
- News Article: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-49814309
Highest Magnitude
Surface faulting shifting the dirt road over several feet.
Credit: Ryan Gold, USGS
Peru
- Magnitude: 8.0
- Date: May 26
- Depth: 122 km
- Location: Loreto, Peru
- Impact: 2 fatalities, 18 injuries, numerous buildings damaged, including five schools, four health centers, and two religious sites.
- Incident Page: https://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/eventpage/us60003sc0/executive
- News Article: https://www.cnn.com/2019/05/26/americas/peru-earthquake-may-intl/index.html
Papua New Guinea
- Magnitude: 7.6
- Date: May 14
- Depth: 145 km
- Location: Offshore of East New Britain, PNG
- Impact: A brief tsunami warning was issued, but was cancelled. One person injured and more than 100 displaced, several houses collapsed and power outages occurred on Duke of York Island.
- Incident Page: https://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/eventpage/us70003kyy/executive
- News Article: https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/powerful-quake-hits-papua-new-guinea-prompting-tsunami-alert
Ecuador
- Magnitude: 7.5
- Date: February 22
- Depth: 145 km
- Location: Pastaza, Ecuador
- Impact: 1 fatality, 9 injuries, 22 homes and several buildings damaged. Landslides blocked roads in the damage area.
- Incident Page: https://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/eventpage/us2000jlfv/executive
- News Article: https://www.npr.org/2019/02/22/696961234/7-5-magnitude-earthquake-strikes-near-ecuadors-border-with-peru
