North America’s Largest Recorded Earthquake

March 27, 1964

A quake measuring 9.2 on the Richter scale hits near Prince William Sound, Alaska destroying property and causing about 139 deaths. An ensuing 27-foot (8.2 m) tsunami destroyed the village of Chenega, killing 23 of the 68 people who lived there. In all, 15 people died as a result of the earthquake itself, 106 died from the subsequent tsunami in Alaska, five died from the tsunami in Oregon, and 13 died from the tsunami in California. It is also the second most powerful earthquake recorded in world history.  (The most powerful earthquake recorded in world history is the 9.5-magnitude Great Chilean Earthquake (Valdivia Earthquake) on May 22, 1960. It triggered a massive tsunami, causing widespread destruction and fatalities across the Pacific, particularly in Chile, Japan, and Hawaii.)