Earthquake

An Earthquake is a shaking of the earth's surface by energy waves emitted by slowly moving tectonic plates overcoming friction with one another underneath the earth's surface.

In the National Risk Index, an Earthquake Risk Index score and rating represent a community's relative risk for Earthquakes when compared to the rest of the United States. An Earthquake Expected Annual Loss score and rating represent a community's relative level of expected building and population loss each year due to Earthquakes when compared to the rest of the United States.

A map of the United States colored by Earthquake Risk Index ratings. Earthquake risk is possible across the United States, and is most prevalent in Hawaii, all along the West Coast, along the Mississippi River where Arkansas, Missouri, Tennessee, and Kentucky borders intersect, Alaska, northwestern Montana, western Wyoming, and southeastern South Carolina. For full results, see the National Risk Index Map webpage.

Click to view map Data Download

Earthquake Exposure

An Earthquake exposure value represents a community's building value (in dollars) and population (in both people and population equivalence) exposed to Earthquake.

Earthquake Annualized Frequency

An Earthquake annualized frequency value represents the modeled frequency of Earthquake hazard occurrences (events) per year.

Source Data

FEMA's Hazus Estimated Annualized Earthquake Losses for the United States (also known as the P-366 Study)

U.S. Geological Survey's Probability of Minor-Damage Earthquake Shaking Raster

Earthquake Historic Loss Ratio

An Earthquake historic loss ratio is the representative percentage of the exposed consequence type value (building or population) expected to be lost due to an Earthquake hazard occurrence.