Earthquake Hazards Program: NEIC: Significant Earthquakes in 2001

Item Large / Noteworthy Earthquakes in 2001

January 13 -- El Salvador -- 7.7M

January 26 -- India -- 7.7M

February 13 -- El Salvador -- 6.6M

February 28 -- Washington -- 6.8M

June 23 -- Near Coast of Peru -- 8.4M

** Largest Earthquake in 2001

Item Earthquakes with the most casualties in 2001

January 13, El Salvador, 7.7M

At least 844 people killed, 4,723 injured, 108,226 houses destroyed and more than 150,000 buildings damaged in El Salvador. About 585 of the deaths were caused by large landslides in Nueva San Salvador and Comasagua. Utilities and roads damaged by more than 16,000 landslides. Damage and injuries occurred in every department of El Salvador. Eight people killed in Guatemala. Felt from Mexico City to Colombia.

January 26, India, 7.7M

** Deadliest Earthquake in 2001

At least 20,005 people killed, 166,836 injured, approximately 339,000 buildings destroyed and 783,000 damaged in the Bhuj-Ahmadabad-Rajkot area and other parts of Gujarat. Many bridges and roads damaged in Gujarat. At least 18 people killed and some injured in southern Pakistan. Felt throughout northern India and much of Pakistan. Also felt in Bangladesh and western Nepal. The earthquake occurred along an approximately east-west trending thrust fault at shallow depth. The stress that caused this earthquake is due to the Indian plate pushing northward into the Eurasian plate. Complex earthquake. A small event is followed by a larger one about 2 seconds later.

February 13, El Salvador, 6.6M

At least 315 people killed, 3,399 injured and extensive damage. The most severe damage occurred in the San Juan Tepezontes-San Vicente-Cojutepeque area. Landslides occurred in many areas of El Salvador. Felt throughout El Salvador and in Guatemala and Honduras.

June 23, Near Coast of Peru, 8.4M

At least 74 people killed, including 26 killed by a tsunami, 2,687 injured, 17,510 homes destroyed and 35,549 homes damaged in the Arequipa-Camana-Tacna area. An additional 64 people missing due to the tsunami in the Camana-Chala area. Landslides blocked highways in the epicentral area. Many of the historic buildings at Arequipa were damaged or destroyed. Some people injured and damage reported in the Arica, Chile area. Felt (VIII) at Arica, (VI) at Iquique, (V) at Calama and (III) at Tocopilla, Chile. Felt strongly in much of southern Peru and northern Chile. Also felt in Bolivia. Tsunami runup heights near Camana are estimated from field evidence to have reached approximately 7m at some locations; at other locations, the tsunami inundation distance extended more than 1 km inland from the coast. Tsunami wave heights (peak-to-trough) recorded from selected tide stations: 2.5m at Arica; 1.5m at Iquique; 1.0m at Coquimbo, Chile. The earthquake occurred at the boundary between the Nazca and South American tectonic plates. The two plates are converging towards each other at a rate of about 78mm per year. The earthquake occurred as thrust-faulting on the interface between the two plates, with the South American plate moving up and seaward over the Nazca plate. Southwestern Peru has a history of very large earthquakes. The June 23 shock originated just southeast of the source of a magnitude 7.7 earthquake that occurred in 1996, and it appears to have involved rupture of part of the plate boundary segment that produced an earthquake of magnitude approximately 9.0 in 1868. The 1868 earthquake was destructive in towns that were heavily damaged in the June 23 earthquake. The 1868 earthquake produced a tsunami that killed thousands of people along the South American coast and also caused damage in Hawaii and alarm in Japan.Complex event. The initial onset consists of two events separated by about 6 seconds. It is followed by at least one larger complex event occurring about 40 seconds later.

Deaths from Earthquakes in 2001: 21,357

Item United States Earthquakes in 2001

Largest in the 50 States: January 10, Kodiak Island Region, Alaska, 7.0M

Felt (VI) at Kodiak and (III) at Anchorage and Seward. Also felt at Anchor Point, Dillingham, Kenai, King Salmon, Old Harbor and Perryville.

Largest in the 48 States: February 28, Washington, 6.8M

About 400 people injured and major damage in the Seattle-Tacoma- Olympia area. Maximum intensity (VIII) in the Capitol Hill area of Olympia and in the Pioneer Square area south of downtown Seattle. Preliminary estimates of damage are between 1 and 4 billion U.S. dollars. Felt from central Oregon to southern British Columbia and as far east as northwestern Montana. The maximum recorded acceleration was 0.3g at Seward Park. Landslides occurred in the Tacoma area and near Renton. Liquefaction and sand blows occurred in parts of Olympia and South Seattle.

Item Large Earthquakes in 2004 • 2003 • 2002 • 2001 • 2000 • 1999 • 1998 • 1997 • 1996 • 1995 • 1994 • 1993 • 1992

Item Earthquake Facts and Statistics