Earthquakes happen because of tectonic plates moving. The Earth is made of about 12 plates. Plates can often move against, on top, or on bottom of each other. The friction triggered by the movements can cause earthquakes. On average, about 10,000 people die from a earthquake a year. They can cause houses to fall, missing and injured friends and family, and trees and telephone poles to fall down. There are also foreshocks and aftershocks that can create as much damage as the earthquake itself. There is a estimated 500,000 earthquakes a year just not all are big enough to be felt.
There are many small earthquakes like the the earthquake on May 1, 2017 in Alaska. Not all earthquakes create damage and some are even not felt but still present. One earthquake that happened in 2016, was in Ecuador. It killed nearly 600 people and changed the lives of about 25,000 children.
There are no ways to predict an earthquake but today, many engineers are changing the way buildings are made by using more flexible structures, lighter roofs, and stronger foundations to withstand the earthquake. There are also some companies that help with earthquakes. The UNICEF Earthquake Disaster Relief helps children affected by earthquakes. Also, the United Nations World Food Program, CARE, Oxfam, and Global Shapers are all helping bring food, water, and medicine to people experienced in a earthquake.
