The 6 Most Devastatingly Powerful Earthquakes Ever

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Earthquakes occur as a result of massive movement of the Earth's tectonic plates. Over the course of history, the world has witnessed several earthquakes, many of which have caused unimaginable destruction and decimation. This article looks at the most devastating earthquakes ever. These were some of the most powerful earthquakes in the world, each of them recording massive numbers on the Richter Scale.

Let us look at the 6 most devastatingly powerful earthquakes in the world. These are, till date, the most powerful earthquakes ever. The list looks at earthquakes in increasing order of severity and damage caused.

January 13th 1906, The Coast Of Ecuador

The epicenter of the earthquake was in between the coast of Colombia and Ecuador. A tsunami resulted as a result of the earthquake recorded a massive 8.8 on the Richter Scale. Around 1500 people were killed, mostly those who lived along the coastline from San Francisco to Central America. Rivers to the west of Hawaii suddenly drained for a mammoth 12 hours after the earthquake struck. This was one amongst the most powerful earthquakes in the world.

February 27th 2010, Chile

The earthquake struck off Bio Bio in Chile and recorded an unforgiving 8.8 on the Richter Scale. The earthquake was so devastating that it consumed the lives of almost 600 people. Around 800,000 people were left homeless following this powerful quake. Besides, the earthquake left the government wanting for funds, demanding a whopping 30 Billion dollars from the government's treasury.

July 27th 1976, Tangshan, China

Unimaginable and indescribable in terms of the lives affected and damage inflicted, the great Tangshan earthquake of China saw a death toll of an unimaginable 255,000 people. Another 200,000 people were injured and several more hundreds of thousands were left homeless. The earthquake recorded a sinister 8.0 on the Richter Scale. It remains the most devastating earthquake in the history of China.

May 22nd 1960, Chile

Well, Chile is highly prone to earthquakes, considering the fact that the country lies on a tectonic plate that shifts all too often. The 1960 Chile quake killed around 4,600 people. It recorded a massive 9.6 on the Richter scale. The massive quake triggered a tsunami that consumed the entire coast of Puerto Saavedra. Going solely by the reading it recorded on the Richter scale, this has to be the most powerful earthquake in the world.

January 10th 2010, Haiti

The impoverished Haiti suffered its worst natural disaster on the 10th of January when an earthquake with a magnitude of 8.8 on the Richter Scale brought unseen destruction and devastation. Hundreds of Thousands of People were left wanting for food and shelter. The estimated death toll of 222,500 is perhaps only second to the destruction brought about by the Sumatran earthquake and tsunami of 2004.The earthquake resulted in 8 aftershocks, triggering a tsunami after two weeks.

December 26th 2004, West coast of Sumatra

This recent earthquake left the whole world devastated and mostly astounded. The earthquake recorded a mammoth 9.1 on the Richter Scale, taking the lives of a staggering 250,000 people. The impact of the earthquake was felt across 14 countries in the vicinity of the epicenter. A tsunami resulted - known to be the deadliest and most powerful Tsunami in the world. Some of the poorest countries around the epicenter lost almost 65 percent of their fishing infrastructure, the earthquake affecting the lives of almost 350,000 people. This perhaps was the deadliest earthquake in the world.