Description: Data show estimated annualized earthquake losses for the conterminous United States and Washington, DC. Efforts to reduce the losses from earthquakes have already proved effective. California’s enhanced building codes; strengthened highway structures; higher standards for school and university, police and fire station construction; and well-prepared emergency management and response agencies reduced deaths, injuries and damage in recent earthquakes. Strengthening of older buildings, gaining a better understanding of California’s earthquake threat, and continued education and preparedness will pay an even greater dividend to Californians in speeding response after future earthquakes. This study estimated nationwide losses to be approximately $4.5 billion per year (in 2012 dollars), roughly 80% of which can be attributed to the states of California, Oregon, and Washington.
Service Item Id: f9d4ceb6e96e44ff8a84e2ecc45d4ae3
Copyright Text: Plotted using data from "Estimating Annualized Earthquake Losses for the Conterminous United States" by Jaiswal et al. 2015.
Jaiswal, K.S., Bausch, D., Chen, R., Bouabid, J. and Seligson, H., 2015, Estimating annualized earthquake losses for the conterminous United States, Earthquake Spectra, v 31, no S1, S221-S243, doi: 10.1193/010915EQS005M.