The amount of destruction caused by an earthquake is measured by:

The destruction and damage from an earthquake are measured on the Mercalli scale.

The Mercalli scale grades the observed intensity of shaking and damage at a place.

The Richter scale measures magnitude, the energy released, not the destruction.

A generic magnitude scale likewise gives released energy, not felt damage.

Though damage is an intensity measure, the recognised scale for it carries the Mercalli name rather than a plain intensity label.

The Mercalli scale runs in Roman numerals from one to twelve by severity of shaking.