Recent Natural Disasters | Calamities | Hazards

As of November 4 at 9:00 am, reports a grim toll of at least 157 confirmed fatalities, with numerous injuries following the magnitude 6.4 earthquake in Ramidanda of Jajarkot, Nepal. Rescue teams are navigating treacherous mountain villages, but the death toll is anticipated to rise, hindered by communication disruptions. Dry landslides around the epicenter at Ramidanda have impeded search efforts, with rescue teams yet to reach the epicenter. Dozens of houses have collapsed, prompting residents to seek refuge in open areas. As the situation unfolds, we continue to monitor live updates, staying connected with the affected areas in Nepal and India. Click here to refresh this page to get updates on the Jajarkot earthquake Update November 5, 2023 @ 7:00 am Nepal's Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal has called for a cabinet meeting to discuss the damage caused by the earthquake in Jajarkot and the relief efforts. The meeting, which started at 8 am, is being held at the Prime Minister'

In early October 2023, a series of four powerful earthquakes, each measuring Mww 6.3, and their subsequent aftershocks rocked Herat Province in western Afghanistan. This seismic activity, occurring within the complex collision zone of the Arabian Plate, the Indian Plate, and the Eurasian Plate, has left a profound impact on the region. Overview of the Earthquakes The first two earthquakes struck on October 7, at 11:11 AFT and 11:42 AFT near the city of Herat, followed by multiple aftershocks. On October 11 and 15, two additional Mww 6.3 earthquakes shook the same area. The United States Geological Survey identified shallow thrust faulting as the cause for all four earthquakes, with a fault plane solution indicating an east–west rupture source. Subsequently, on October 28, a Mww 5.0 event hit the region, followed by a mb 4.8 aftershock. Human Toll Tragically, more than 2,400 people lost their lives in these earthquakes, marking the deadliest tremors in Afghanistan in recent years.  Impa

May 12, 2023: Lake Almanor, situated approximately 80 miles northeast of Chico and 150 miles north of Sacramento, endured a 5.5-magnitude earthquake, as reported by the United States Geological Survey (USGS). The epicenter was located at the bottom of Lake Almanor near East Shore, California. According to the USGS, the initial report indicated a magnitude of 5.5 at around 4:20 p.m. PST, which was later downgraded to 5.4 but then regraded back to 5.5. The shaking from the earthquake was felt as far as Sacramento, and Peninsula Market, located near the epicenter, experienced bottles falling and shattering on the floor. As of now, there have been no reports of major damage or injuries. However, several aftershocks have been registered in the vicinity of the initial earthquake. Reports indicate that people in various cities across Northern California, including Sacramento, Placer, El Dorado, San Joaquin, Solano, Colusa, Nevada, Yolo, and Butte counties, felt the quake. There were even rep

May 8, 2023 - An earthquake with a magnitude of 4.3 struck Jamaica at approximately 4:55 PM on May 8, 2023. The epicenter of the earthquake was located 15 kilometers southwest of the town of May Pen, in the central part of the island. The earthquake was felt in several areas across the island, including Kingston, the capital city. There have been no reports of damage or injuries as of yet. The earthquake was classified as a shallow earthquake, with a depth of 10 kilometers. According to the United States Geological Survey (USGS), shallow earthquakes are more likely to cause damage, particularly to buildings and infrastructure. The Jamaican government has issued a statement advising residents to remain calm and to follow the guidance of emergency responders. The Office of Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Management (ODPEM) is monitoring the situation and has activated its emergency response protocols. Earthquakes are not uncommon in Jamaica, which sits on the boundary of two tectonic

May 4, 2023 - A 5.8-magnitude earthquake struck the province of Isabela on Tuesday morning, causing mild to moderate shaking in the area. The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) reported that the epicenter of the earthquake was located 14 kilometers northeast of Palanan town, Isabela, and it occurred at 9:06 am. According to Phivolcs, the earthquake was tectonic in origin and had a depth of 6 kilometers. Although there were no immediate reports of casualties or damage to structures, the earthquake was felt at Intensity IV in Palanan and Intensity III in neighboring towns of Divilacan and Maconacon. Reports suggest that the earthquake caused the ground to shake and sway, which led to some panic and evacuation of homes. Some schools and businesses in the affected areas were temporarily closed as a precautionary measure. The earthquake followed a series of earthquakes that struck the island of Luzon a few days ago, with a 6.1-magnitude earthquake hitting Zambales

March 30, 2023: The U.S. Geological Survey has reported a 3.7 magnitude earthquake occurring at 2:06 p.m. Pacific time on Saturday, with its epicenter located two miles from Calexico, California. The earthquake was felt in areas as far as 45 miles away in San Luis, Arizona and happened at a depth of 7.2 miles. Earlier in the day, a 3.0 magnitude earthquake occurred just one mile from Calexico at 7:48 a.m. Pacific time, following a nearby 4.1 magnitude earthquake reported at 5:07 a.m. that same day. There have been a total of five earthquakes of magnitude 3.0 or higher in the area within the past 10 days.

March 30, 2023: An earthquake measuring 4.1 on the Richter scale hit the Jammu and Kashmir region on Sunday morning, as confirmed by the National Center for Seismology. The earthquake occurred at 5:15 am and had a depth of 5 km. The latitude and longitude of the epicenter were reported to be 35.06 and 74.49, respectively. In a tweet, the National Center for Seismology stated, "Earthquake of Magnitude:4.1, Occurred on 30-04-2023, 05:15:34 IST, Lat: 35.06 & Long: 74.49, Depth: 5 Km, Location: Jammu and Kashmir, India." As a high seismic zone and vulnerable to flood damage, the Jammu and Kashmir administration has announced plans to construct state-of-the-art Emergency Operation Centers (EOC) in all 20 districts to minimize the impact of natural disasters.  The earthquake caused panic among the residents of Jammu and Kashmir, who rushed out of their homes in fear. No loss of life or property damage has been reported yet, and the authorities are monitoring the situation close

A powerful earthquake measuring 6.8 magnitude hit southern Ecuador on March 18, 2023. The earthquake's epicenter was located off the coast of the canton of Balao, about 80 kilometers south of Guayaquil, with a hypocenter depth of 65.8 km. The earthquake resulted in significant damage in the provinces of El Oro, Azuay, and Guayas, causing 446 injuries and 16 fatalities in Ecuador and two fatalities and dozens of injuries in Peru. The USGS reported the earthquake's magnitude as 6.8 Mw with a maximum MMI of VII, while the European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre reported a magnitude of 6.7 Mw. Nearly half of Ecuador's population, or 8.41 million people, felt the earthquake, with intensities of V-VII reported by PAGER. The earthquake resulted from oblique-slip faulting at an intermediate depth near the subduction interface of the Nazca and South American plates. The earthquake had a widespread impact across Ecuador, with 13 out of 24 provinces affected. Damage included the c

On March 21, 2023, an earthquake with a magnitude of 6.5 hit Badakhshan Province in Afghanistan, at an intermediate depth of about 187 km (116 mi). The epicenter of the earthquake was located 40 km (25 mi) south-southeast of Jurm. According to the United States Geological Survey, the earthquake had a magnitude of Mww 6.5, while the Pakistan Meteorological Department stated it was 6.8. However, the earthquake was initially reported as Mw 7.7, which was later found to be inaccurate. The European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre reported that the earthquake shook an area of about 1,000 km (620 mi), affecting around 285 million people in Afghanistan, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. The earthquake caused extensive damage in Afghanistan, with at least 10 deaths, 80 injuries, and over 665 houses destroyed across nine provinces. Laghman, Takhar, Panjshir, Badakhshan, Kabul, and Nangarhar provinces were among the most affected areas. In Pakis

On February 6, 2023, an earthquake measuring 7.8 magnitude hit southeastern Turkey near the Syrian border. This was followed by another earthquake measuring 7.5 magnitude around 59 miles southwest nine hours later. The earthquake near Gaziantep in south-central Turkey was the strongest recorded there since 1939 and the most devastating earthquake to hit Turkey in more than 20 years. The Turkish government responded by declaring a level-4 emergency and calling for international assistance, and the Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD) and the Turkish Red Crescent led the coordination efforts. Governments around the world sent rescue teams and offered aid. As of March 1, more than 11,000 aftershocks have occurred, and more are expected in the future. The confirmed death toll is 59,259, with 50,783 in Turkey and 8,476 in Syria. This makes it the deadliest earthquake in Turkey since the 526 Antioch earthquake and the deadliest natural disaster in its modern history. Damages we

Update 3:30 pm local time The earthquake has damaged one house in BadiMalika Municpality of Bajura district. January 24, 2023: A strong earthquake of magnitude 5.9 has been recorded in Bajura district in Sudurpashchim Province of Nepal today at 2:43 pm local time. According to the Nepal Seismological Center, the quake's epicenter was located south of Simikot. The tremor was also felt in Delhi-NCR, India, parts of Rajasthan's capital city of Jaipur and Uttarakhand. Today morning, an earthquake of ML 3.9 was recorded around Kareti of Rolpa district at 10:03 local time

Map locating epicenter of the earthquake in Khotang, Nepal (Google Map)  We are closely following this event . Kindly visit again for updates or click here to refresh the page Update 05:35 am UTC A mud house has been collapsed in Sakela Rural Municipality of Khotang. However, no injuries or fatalities have been reported till now. July 31, 2022: Magnitude 6.0 strong earthquake has been recorded in Khotang district of eastern Nepal at 08:13 am (02:28 UTC) Sunday morning at a shallow depth of 10 km. According to the National Earthquake Monitoring and Research Center (NEMRC), the earthquake epicenter was located in Mattim Birta, north of Khotang Bazar. Moderate earthquake of MMI V was felt by the most of the people of eastern areas of Nepal including Khadbari, Dharan, Inaruwa, Itahari, Lahan, Biratnagar and Jhapa. Light to weak tremor of MMI IV-III was felt by the people of Bharatpur, Pokhara, Kathmandu, Bhaktapur, Kirtipur and Lalitpur. The tremor was even felt by the people of India and

September 25, 2021: A moderate earthquake of magnitude 4.5 has been recorded in Sindhupalchowk today, Nepal's National Earthquake Monitoring and Research Center confirmed. The earthquake occurred at 12:12 pm Saturday afternoon with epicenter in northern part of Sindhupalchowk near Pangtang, Nepal . On Monday, an earthquake of magnitude 4.2 was recorded in Kharra, Darchula.

September 23, 2021: A small earthquake of magnitude 2.7 has been recorded in Carson today at 7:58 p.m., the United States Geological Survey (USGS) confirmed. The earthquake occurred at 4.6 km depth. The tremor was felt by the people of Torrance, Long Beach, Gardena, Harbor City, Compton, Lomita, Wilmington, Lawndale and Redondo Beach.

September 22, 2021: Geoscience Australia has confirmed a 5.9 magnitude earthquake at 09.15 AEST morning near Mansfield, Victoria. The earthquake's epicenter was recorded at a depth of approximately 10kms. The quake was felt as far away as the city of Adelaide and Sydney. At least 12 miners were underground at the time of the earthquake in Mansfield, but they had been safely evacuated. The earthquake also damaged buildings on Chapel Street in Melbourne. The Emergency Management Commissioner of Victoria has warned residents that aftershocks could continue for days or weeks. The current earthquake is one of the state's strongest earthquakes in history.

September 13, 2021: A light earthquake of magnitude 3.6 rattles Thousand Oaks, California today, the United States Geological Survey (USGS) confirmed. The earthquake's epicenter was located 5km NNW of Thousand Oaks, CA. The earthquake occurred at a shallow depth of 1.8 km. The tremor was felt by the people of Thousand Oaks, Camarillo, Westlake Village, Moorpark, Newbury Park, Oak Park,Simi Valley, Agoura Hills, Malibu, West Hills, Fillmore, Calabasas, Canoga Park, Chatsworth, Winnetka, Stevenson Ranch, Porter Ranch,Northridge and as far as Ventura.

September 13, 2021: A moderate earthquake of magnitude 5.1 has been recorded in Mashhad, Iran today. According to the United States Geological Survey (USGS), the earthquake's epicenter was located 38 km ENE of Qūchān, Iran. The earthquake occurred at 10 km depth. Did you feel this earthquake in Mashhad today? Kindly share your experiences in the comment section below.

Q: What government agency is tasked to identify the intensity of earthquake in the Philippines? A: The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) is tasked to identify the intensity of earthquake in the Philippines.   PHIVOLCS operates 108 seismic monitoring stations all over the Philippines as of December 2020. PHIVOLCS is a service institute of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST). It works providing services for warning, disaster preparedness and mitigation.  Related Post: List of recent natural disasters in Philippines

The 1958 Lituya Bay, Alaska earthquake had a moment magnitude of 7.8 to 8.3 and a maximum Mercalli intensity of XI (extreme). A tsunami with a record run-up height of 1720 feet occurred in Lituya Bay, Alaska. When did the Lituya Bay Tsunami occur? July 9, 1958 How did the Lituya Bay tsunami start? The 1958 Lituya Bay, Alaska earthquake triggered a major subaerial landslide into Gilbert Inlet at the head of Lituya Bay on the southern coast of Alaska. The landslide impacted the water at high speed generating a giant tsunami. Did anyone died in Lituya Bay tsunami? Five people died in Lituya Bay tsunami. How much land did the Lituya Bay tsunami destroy? Lituya Bay earthquake triggered a rockslide of 40 million cubic yards (30 million cubic meters and about 90 million tons) into the narrow inlet of Lituya Bay, Alaska. Was there a warning for the Lituya Bay tsunami? As the megatsusnmani was caused due to the massive landslide in the area, there was no warning for the Lituya Bay tsunami.

Q: How are earthquakes distributed on the map of earthquake distribution? A:  The earthquakes are mainly distributed at the edge of tectonic plates on the map of earthquake distribution. When earthquakes are plotted on a world map, the earthquake locations look like narrow bands winding through the continents and oceans. The earthquakes are found along the fault line and lines of plate subsidence. Related Post:  How are volcanoes distributed on the map?