2026 so far: six earthquakes that mattered most
By mid-August 2026, the world had recorded 10 earthquakes above magnitude 7, roughly in line with the long-term average, but several caused unusually severe destruction, especially in Venezuela and Colombia.
Although 2026 has seen 10 earthquakes above magnitude 7 by mid-August — close to the long-term yearly average of about 15 — the human toll from several of them has been unusually severe.
Venezuela: the deadliest event
On June 24, Venezuela was struck by two earthquakes just 39 seconds apart, first magnitude 7.2, then 7.5. The country's north, including capital Caracas, suffered the worst damage. Official figures put the death toll above 6,300, while satellite-based analysis by Oregon State University researchers estimated more than 58,000 buildings may have been damaged or destroyed.
Philippines and Colombia
On June 8, a magnitude 7.8 quake off Mindanao's southern coast — the strongest of the year, striking at a depth of 57 kilometers — killed at least 107 people. The much lower death toll compared to Venezuela shows that magnitude alone doesn't determine how deadly a quake becomes.
On August 10, western Colombia's Choco region was hit by a magnitude 7.4 quake at a depth of 100 kilometers. Despite the depth, damage was extensive, with more than 250 people estimated dead so far; landslides and damaged roads have hampered rescue efforts and supply deliveries to remote areas.
Tonga, Japan and Afghanistan
A magnitude 7.5 quake near Tonga's Vava'u islands on March 24 went almost unnoticed, as its unusually deep origin, around 230 kilometers down, weakened the tremors and caused no reported deaths or damage.
On April 20, a magnitude 7.4 undersea quake off Japan's Sanriku Coast triggered a tsunami warning and evacuations, but caused no major destruction, unlike the catastrophic 2011 magnitude 9 quake and tsunami in the same region.
On April 3, a comparatively weak magnitude 5.8 quake in Afghanistan's Badakhshan province killed at least 12 people, underscoring how poor construction, remoteness and limited disaster response can make even moderate quakes deadly in poorer countries.
