2011 worst year on record for earthquake damage

2011 was the most damaging year on record for economic losses due to earthquakes, according to a new report. Japan and New Zealand were hardest hit.

According to an analysis by the Center for Disaster Management and Risk Reduction Technology (CEDIM) released in January 2012, the year 2011 had the highest global economic losses due to earthquakes on record. 

Last year, earthquakes and their consequences, such as tsunamis, landslides and ground settlements caused a damage of 365 billion US dollars. According to this analysis, 20,500 people died, about a million people lost their homes.

Damage from February, 2011 earthquake in Christchurch, New Zealand 

Japan and New Zealand were hit hardest by the catastrophes. With losses in the amount of 335 billion US dollars alone, the Tohuku earthquake is the most expensive earthquake so far.

The earthquake with a magnitude of 9 and the following tsunami hit northern Japan on March 11, 2011. As a result, 19,300 people died and 450,000 lost their homes.

The earthquake near Christchurch, New Zealand, in February 2011 caused 20 billion dollars of losses. Large economic losses also resulted from the earthquakes in the Turkish region of Van, in the region of India-Nepal-Tibet, in the Chinese provinces of Yunnan and Xinjiang, and in the US state of Virginia.

A wave approaches Miyako City, Japan after the magnitude 8.9 earthquake struck the area March 11, 2011

Worldwide, at least 133 earthquakes occurred in 2011, during which people died, were injured or lost their homes or which caused immense damage to property. Most often, 27 times, earthquakes took place in Japan. These were mostly aftershocks of the Tohoku earthquake. China was affected 20 times, Turkey 18 times. Including the aftershock near Christchurch, New Zealand was hit by 17 earthquakes.

In 2011, 20,500 people died as a result of earthquakes, tsunamis, or other consequences. Statistically speaking, this is below the average of the past years. More than 1 million people lost their homes. For comparison: The devastating earthquake on Haiti in 2010 caused about 137,000 casualties, between one and two million people lost their homes. In 2011, the earthquakes and their side effects destroyed or damaged more than 1.7 million buildings, of these, more than one million in Japan alone.