The series of earthquakes that hit the country over the weekend, two of which were stronger, aroused a sense of insecurity and fear among residents of Durres and Tirana.
Unfortunately, Albania is in a seismic zone where earthquake shakes are not a common occurrence, but at the same time we cannot even predict the place and time. However, going back in time to a basic date of the National Geophysical Data Center, from 58 BC to the present day there are about 53 powerful earthquakes that have hit the country.
According to historical data the year with the highest number of strong earthquakes, with consequences, were recorded in 1967, about 2 earthquakes. The Earthquake Database is a global list of over 5,700 earthquakes from 2150 BC to date.
A significant earthquake is classified as one that meets at least one of the following criteria: causes death, causes material damage (approximately $ 1 million or more), magnitude 7.5 or greater, Intensity X or greater, or earthquake generating Tsunami.
Due to the availability of data, reporting and evidence, it is expected that data for the most recent years will be more complete than the long historical record.
Worldwide, 20 earthquakes caused by earthquakes during 2018 were estimated. Earthquake events occur all over the world every day. The US Geological Survey (USGS) tracks and reports global earthquakes, with (near) real-time updates you can find here.
However, the most frequent earthquakes are often too small to cause significant damage (either in human life or in economic terms).
Beyond the social consequences, these inevitable natural phenomena have a major impact on the economics of countries. Albania has had to pay a high bill over the years due to the damages caused by disasters, such as earthquakes, floods and fires. A study done by the European Center for Security Affairs shows that the economic losses caused by these disasters between 1974-2006 are estimated at an average of ALL 8.5 billion per year.
Source: Monitor
