Natural disasters have always been a significant threat to human life and safety due to the uncontrolled and commonly unpreventable features. Despite the scope of dangers and adverse outcomes associated with various natural disasters, earthquakes might be claimed to be the most dangerous to societies and people. Due to high economic costs associated with rescuing efforts and living after the earthquake, this disaster is perceived as the most severe.
Numerous instances of extreme earthquakes in humanity’s history indicate the scope of damage and victims they cause. Such earthquakes as Loma Prieta 1989, Mexico City 1985, or Bhuj 2001 caused thousands of deaths and significant monetary losses for the communities. The economic costs issue associated with earthquakes is of particular relevance to natural disasters because the contemporary world is driven by economies and businesses. The survival after an earthquake largely depends on the financial capabilities and the estimated damage to the health of victims and the infrastructure. Unlike any other natural disaster, earthquakes are commonly the deadliest ones. They are associated with irrecoverable property and building damage that have several implications for the economy. Firstly, the rescue efforts are costly and complicated; secondly, earthquakes might ruin critical facilities that generate economic profit and the damage to which might paralyze the functioning of a city or a state. Thirdly, the reconstruction costs are high due to the probability of complete ruination of buildings. Finally, without a functioning economy, even people who have not been directly impacted by an earthquake would be threatened.
Thus, earthquakes are one of the deadliest and most dangerous natural disasters. The scope of irreparable damage, human losses, and paralyzed infrastructure causes high economic costs for rescuing, preventing, reconstructing, and rehabilitating. The recovery after an earthquake requires substantial time and financial contributions, which are commonly impossible to obtain within the impacted community due to the losses caused by the disaster. Overall, the dependence of modern societies on infrastructure makes earthquakes the most dangerous catastrophe from the perspective of long-term recovery.