This just in, straight from the USGS:
Earthquake Fatalities High in 2008
The number of earthquake-related fatalities across the world in 2008 — about 88,070 according to the USGS and confirmed by the United Nations Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs — was much higher in 2008 than in recent years. This past year’s strongest and most destructive earthquake occurred in eastern Sichuan, China, on May 12, claiming at least 69,185 lives. In the contiguous United States, 2008’s highest magnitude earthquake was a 6.0 on February 21 near Wells, Nev., causing no fatalities but injuring at least three people and severely damaging more than 20 buildings. The USGS and its partners in the multi-agency National Earthquake Hazard Reduction Program are working to improve earthquake monitoring and reporting capabilities via the USGS Advanced National Seismic System. More information about ANSS can be found at earthquake.usgs.gov/research/monitoring/anss/, and a complete list of 2008 earthquake statistics can be found at neic.cr.usgs.gov/neis/eq_depot/2008/.
And now, barring any more global shaking, I’ll take a break from earthquakes and start blogging about other things, like weather. (Here in Richmond, we’re hoping NOAA is off on the precip. chance for today, and that we might actually get a flurry or two…)