The largest earthquake to hit the United States struck on March 28, 1964. The magnitude 9.2 quake struck Prince William Sound in Alaska, devastating the state and triggering a tsunami.

The following is a list of the largest earthquakes that have hit the country in the recorded history of the U.S.

  1. March 28, 1964: Prince William Sound, Alaska, 9.2 magnitude
  2. March 9, 1957: Andreanof Islands, Alaska, 8.8 magnitude
  3. Feb. 4, 1965: Rat Islands, Alaska, 8.7 magnitude
  4. Nov. 10, 1938: East of Shumagin Islands, Alaska, 8.3 magnitude
  5. July 10, 1958: Lituya Bay, Alaska, 8.3 magnitude
  6. Sept. 10, 1899: Yakutat Bay, Alaska, 8.2 magnitude
  7. Sept. 4, 1899: Near Cape Yakataga, Alaska, 8.2 magnitude
  8. May 7, 1986: Andreanof Islands, Alaska, 8.0 magnitude
  9. Feb. 7, 1812: New Madrid, Missouri, 7.9 magnitude
  10. Jan. 9, 1857: Fort Tejon, California, 7.9 magnitude

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Fulton DA Fani Willis (center) with Nathan J. Wade (right), the special prosecutor she hired to manage the Trump case and had a romantic relationship with, at a news conference announcing charges against President-elect Donald Trump and others in Atlanta, Aug. 14, 2023. Georgia’s Supreme Court on Tuesday, Sept. 16, 2025, upheld an appeals court's decision to disqualify Willis from the election interference case against Trump and his allies. (Kenny Holston/New York Times)

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