M 7.6 Earthquake - January 2001, El Salvador
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On 13 January 2001 at 11:33 am local time, a magnitude 7.6 earthquake shook the coast of the country1. The quake occurred at a depth of 40 km and had its epicentre 75 km west of the town of Usultan in the Pacific Ocean2,3. This earthquake also triggered a destructive landslide in the Las Colinas area4.
1 ReliefWeb. 2001. El Salvador: Earthquakes Appeal No. 02/2001 Situation Report No. 11.
http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/rwb.nsf/db900SID/ACOS-64BKEU?OpenDocument
2 Lomnitz, C & Elizararras, S.R. 2001. El Salvador 2001: Earthquake disaster and disaster preparedness in a tropical volcanic environment. Seismological Research Letters.
3 Woersching, J.C. & Snyder, A.E. 2004. Earthquakes in El Salvador: A descriptive study of health concerns in a rural community and the clinical implications: Part III - Mental health and Psychological effects. Disaster Management and Response. Vol. 2.
4 ReliefWeb. 2001. El Salvador earthquakes Jan/Feb 2001: reports from communications visit.
http://reliefweb.int/rw/rwb.nsf/8b7d095431371f6e852567cb008396bb/a847e58...
5 Wisner, B. 2001. Risk and the Neoliberal State: Why Post-Mitch Lessons Didnt Reduce El Salvadors Earthquake Loss. Disasters. Vol. 25, pp 251-268
Event overview table
| No. Deaths | 944 |
| No. Injured | 5,565 |
| No. Affected | 1,134,190 |
| Houses destroyed | 150,000 |
| Houses damaged | 185,000 |
| Other damage | - 2500 schools damaged or destroyed (more than half of schools in country) |
| Economic cost | $1,250,000 |