Earthquakes make the ground move. Buildings shake and many of them collapse. Landslides also happen when rocks get loose.

Another danger is fire. In 1906 San Francisco was hit by a big earthquake and many houses burned down because they were made of wood.

When an earthquake occurs on the sea floor, big waves - called tsunamis—hit the coast. They often come without any warning and they kill many people and destroy buildings and streets near the coast.

Earthquakes also can lead to diseases, especially in developing countries. When water supplies are destroyed people don’t have safe water to drink. Sometimes earthquakes also hit hospitals where injured people are treated.


San Francisco earthquake in 1906
Image: Chadwick, H. D , Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons



Destroyed buildings after the Turkey - Syria earthquake in 2023
Image: Əziz Kərimov (VOA), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons