Nearly half the U.S. population now lives in areas exposed to building-damaging earthquake shaking, a sharp jump from prior federal estimates that raises hard questions about infrastructure readiness nationwide. A new study built on the latest U.S. Geological Survey National Seismic Hazard Model found that roughly 159.2 million Americans reside in zones exposed to "very […] The post New USGS earthquake model puts 159 million Americans in expanded danger zones appeared first on American Almanac .
Nearly half the U.S. population now lives in areas exposed to building-damaging earthquake shaking, a sharp jump from prior federal estimates that raises hard questions about infrastructure readiness nationwide. A new study built on the latest U.S. Geological Survey National Seismic Hazard Model found that roughly 159.2 million Americans reside in zones exposed to "very strong" earthquake shaking, the kind that can crack walls, buckle frames, and knock buildings off foundations. The previous version of the USGS model placed that number at 111.8 million, meaning the updated science added more than 47 million people to the highest-risk category in a single revision. The numbers do not stop at population. Researchers calculated that 47.3…Open
Researchers found that 159.2 million people live in areas exposed to ‘very strong’ shaking under the latest US Geological Survey (USGS) hazard model. Above is an AI-generated stock image Published August 9, 2026 CALIFORNIA — [...]
A magnitude 7.1 earthquake in southern Japan has killed at least 34 people and left thousands without power or water, with rescue crews racing a brutal heat wave to reach survivors still trapped in rubble. The quake struck Kumamoto Prefecture on the island of Kyushu late Tuesday afternoon, ripping through a crowded shopping mall, toppling […] The post Japan earthquake death toll reaches 34 as rescue hopes fade in Kumamoto appeared first on American Almanac .
A magnitude 7.1 earthquake in southern Japan has killed at least 34 people and left thousands without power or water, with rescue crews racing a brutal heat wave to reach survivors still trapped in rubble. The quake struck Kumamoto Prefecture on the island of Kyushu late Tuesday afternoon, ripping through a crowded shopping mall, toppling a factory chimney, and flattening homes across several towns. By Thursday, the death toll had nearly doubled from the previous day's count, and officials acknowledged they still did not know how many people remained missing. Kumamoto's prefectural government reported 86 people injured, five of them seriously, while more than 9,000 residents sheltered in roughly 400 emergency sites across the region.…Open