What Can We Learn From the Past?
It’s been a year since a series of devastating earthquakes struck south-eastern Turkey, close to the Syrian border.
These twin quakes were responsible for over 59,000 deaths and over 120,000 injuries. As survivors in the affected region continue to rebuild their lives, what can we learn from this disaster to better prepare ourselves for future earthquakes in the United States?
Events on the ground
Early on the morning of February 6, 2023, a M 7.5 earthquake struck on the East Anatolian Fault, near the junction of the Arabian Plate, African Plate, and Anatolian Block. The earthquake’s epicenter is represented by the yellow star in the image below.

The mainshock was followed nine hours later by a M 7.5 aftershock that was only slightly less powerful than the first (represented by the blue star in the image above).
According to the USGS, about one in twenty large-magnitude earthquakes are followed by an aftershock of a similar size. Here’s a refresher on the Richter Scale for earthquake magnitude.
Together, the two earthquakes caused an estimated $163.6 billion US dollars in damage. Damage in Turkey reached 9% of the country’s GPD.
Fault lines
The Turkey-Syria earthquakes were caused by a strike-slip fault, where plates move laterally past each other. Another familiar example of a strike-slip fault is the San Andreas Fault which runs the length of California from north to south.

Historically, earthquakes have occurred frequently along the East Anatolian fault. Aleppo, Syria has been devastated several times by earthquakes in the past – once in 1138, and again as recently as 1822, when a M 7.0 earthquake claimed between 20,000 and 60,000 lives.
In hindsight, it’s easy to wonder – why has civilization been rebuilt here time and time again despite the known recurring threat of major earthquakes? But before we’re quick to make that assessment, we should take a closer look at the earthquake threats in the United States.
Time at the speed of plate tectonics
When major earthquakes happen in faraway places, it’s easy to assume that we are immune to these disasters here at home. It’s hard to recall more than a few significant earthquakes in U.S. history. Even those pale in comparison with the destruction caused by earthquakes around the world over the past century.
In 1964, a M 9.2 earthquake struck Alaska, killing 143 people. Several other large earthquakes have happened in Alaska in the past 100 years, but thanks to Alaska’s low population density, they have resulted in very few deaths.
Going back farther to 1906, the catastrophic M 7.9 San Francisco earthquake claimed over 3,000 lives.
And that pretty much concludes the list.

It’s easy to see why earthquakes are not front and center of our minds here in the States. But just as we saw with the historic seismic activity along the East Anatolian fault, millions of people in America today are living on faults that have historically produced significant earthquakes.
The main difference is that because the United States wasn’t even a country until 1776, most of the major earthquakes on the continental U.S. happened before any Europeans or Americans were around to record them.
For example, scientists know from geological records that in 1700, a M 8.7-9.2 megathrust earthquake occurred on the Cascadia Subduction Zone (CSZ). Today, scientists believe that the Pacific Northwest is overdue for another CSZ earthquake and tsunami that will affect Washington, Oregon, Northern California, and Vancouver.

Similarly, the most recent major seismic activity recorded for the San Andreas fault in Southern California happened in the early-to-mid 1800’s. Scientists at the USGS now believe that we are “past the average, or ‘overdue’ for a significant earthquake” on the San Andreas fault.
Unfortunately, tectonic shifts happen so slowly that we, as everyday citizens, hardly notice them until they trigger a major disaster. And seismology has come a long way in the time it’s taken us to develop civilization on the West Coast. In the meantime, we’ve built important, massive cities in regions that are highly-susceptible to major earthquakes.


This problem isn’t only limited to the West Coast. The USGS’s new 2024 earthquake map shows that “75% of the United States could experience damaging earthquake shaking.” If you haven’t conducted a threat assessment of your area for natural and man-made disasters, including earthquakes, it’s a highly-recommended practice.
Parting Thoughts
If your research shows that you do live on or near a fault line, don’t panic. You don’t need to rush out and move. However, if you live in an area that could be affected by a major earthquake, you should take precautions today so that you can secure and sustain your family in a worst-case scenario.
A great starting point is Guide to Disaster Readiness, where you’ll learn how to assess your disaster threats, and how to get your household ready with emergency food, water, and supplies. Even after the initial disaster of an earthquake and possible tsunami passes, you will likely find yourself without power, tap water, heat, and food supply chains for a significant period of time.
Getting ready for an earthquake is just like insurance: you hope you don’t need it, but if you do need it, you’ll really need it.