Earthquakes in Guatemala
In Guatemala, there are partly large earthquakes with strengths of more than 7.0, which cause damages within a radius of over 100 kilometers. Due to the special tectonic situation of the country, there are more earthquakes than average.Since 1950, more than 23,100 people died by the direct consequences of earthquakes. There were 3 earthquakes that also caused a subsequent tsunami, which claimed further lives, and cause additional damage.
Other natural hazards in Guatemala:
› Volcanoes
› Hurricanes
› The most severe earthquakes in the world
Severe earthquake on May 12th
In the morning of May 12th, 2024, a devastating earthquake occurred 52 km south of Tapachula (Chiapas) at 05:39 local time. Guatemala was also affected by this. The quake had a magnitude of 6.4 points on the Richter scale and occurred at a depth of about 75 kilometers. In the course of the following days there were several aftershocks. Three of them with a magnitude of over 2.5. The most severe aftershock had a magnitude of 4.9. Such violent earthquakes occur only rarely. It is the strongest earthquake in the region for over 10 months.Most recent events
This list includes the strongest earthquakes recorded in or around Guatemala by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in the past 14 days. Whether an event is listed here depends largely on its magnitude, but also on its distance from inhabited areas. All data refer to the local time. This page is updated daily at 10:00 UTC.- May 18, 4:40 pmMagnitude 4.9: 98 km southeast of Tapachula (Chiapas) at a depth of 43.97 km.
- May 17, 7:56 amMagnitude 4.6: 79 km southeast of Tapachula (Chiapas) at a depth of 56.64 km.
- May 12, 5:00 pmMagnitude 4.4: 63 km south of Tapachula (Chiapas) at a depth of 68.28 km.
- May 12, 5:39 amMagnitude 6.4: 52 km south of Tapachula (Chiapas) at a depth of 75.43 km.
- May 11, 10:32 amMagnitude 4.2: 42 km east of Mapastepec (Chiapas) at a depth of 93.03 km.
Earthquakes in Guatemala since 1950
| Date | Region | Depth | Magnitude | Deaths | Total damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 02/16/2022 | Baja Verapaz, Guatemala, Quezaltenango | 83 km | 6.2 | 3 | |
| 06/22/2017 | Escuintla, Suchitepequez, Guatemala | 49 km | 6.8 | 0 | |
| 06/14/2017 | Quetzaltenango, Suchitepequez; Mexico | 39 km | 6.9 | 5 | |
| 09/07/2013 | Coatepeque, Quetzaltenango | 57 km | 6.4 | 1 | |
| 11/07/2012 | San Marcos, San Cristobal Cochu | 46 km | 7.3 | 48 | |
| 09/19/2011 | Cuilapa Santa Rosa | 55 km | 5.6 | 1 | |
| 04/15/2008 | Guatemala | 4 km | 6.1 | 0 | |
| 01/05/2008 | Colomba, Flores, Costa Cuca | 45 km | 5.6 | 0 | |
| 06/13/2007 | Guatemala City | 40 km | 6.7 | 0 | |
| 07/11/1999 | Izabal-Puerto Barrios; Honduras | 16 km | 6.7 | 2 | |
| 01/10/1998 | Quezaltenango, San Marcos, Solola | 5 km | 6.6 | 0 | |
| 09/10/1993 | Southwest; Mexico (Chiapas) | 54 km | 7.2 | 1 | |
| 09/18/1991 | Guatemala City, Pachuta, Solola | 13 km | 6.2 | 25 | |
| 11/03/1988 | South Palin, San Vicente Pacaya | 10 km | 6.0 | 5 | |
| 02/03/1986 | Ixchiguan, San Marcos Province | 46 km | 4.7 | 0 | |
| 10/11/1985 | San Miguel Upsantan | 10 km | 4.5 | 0 | |
| 05/18/1980 | South Coast | 38 km | 5.3 | 0 | |
| 10/27/1979 | Guatemala | 57 km | 6.8 | 4 | |
| 10/09/1979 | Guatemala | 29 km | 4.7 | 0 | |
| 07/29/1978 | Patzun | 32 km | 4.5 | 17 | |
| 03/13/1976 | Guatemala | 41 km | 5.1 | 4 | |
| 02/04/1976 | Chimaltenango, Guatemala City | 43 km | 7.5 | 23000 | |
| 10/23/1950 | San Marcos | 20 km | 7.5 | 0 |
These statistics are based on datas from the National Geophysical Data Center / World Data Service (NGDC/WDS): Significant Earthquake Database. doi:10.7289/V5TD9V7K. Data have been summarized and translated.