These are the greatest earthquakes ever observed in the contiguous United States and are among the most powerful ever recorded on earth. Even though the affected area was sparsely populated, dozens of people ​ — perhaps hundreds — ​ died in the disaster.
Tās bija stiprākās zemestrīces, kādas jebkad ir notikušas Amerikas Savienotajās Valstīs, un vienas no spēcīgākajām zemestrīcēm, kādas novērotas uz zemes.