Earthquakes near San Cristóbal de las Casas through history
From 1900 to October 19, 2026, USGS recorded 6 earthquakes of magnitude 6 or more within 100 km of San Cristóbal de las Casas, or 200 km for magnitude 7 and above. The strongest was a magnitude 7.8 on September 23, 1902 (Central Chiapas, Mexico).
The last 30 days · as of
USGS recorded no earthquake of magnitude 4.5 or more within 100 km of San Cristóbal de las Casas in the last 30 days.
What the record holds
The deadliest was not the strongest: a magnitude 3.5 on March 28, 1982 (Chiapas), for which NOAA records 1,879 deaths. NOAA’s list of significant earthquakes has 5 here, back to 1375. NOAA records deaths in 6 of the events here, 1,961 in all. NOAA’s record here begins in 1375 with an eruption (Chichon, El). It grows thinner going back: 2 of the 5 significant earthquakes NOAA lists here are from 1927 on. NOAA lists one tsunami that began within 100 km of San Cristóbal de las Casas. It reached 50 m, on November 5, 2007. NOAA lists 4 significant eruptions of one volcano within 100 km of San Cristóbal de las Casas. The largest was Chichon, El in 1375, at 5 on the volcanic explosivity index.
The events
- November 5, 2007Tsunami · 50 m highJuan De Grijalva, ChiapasNOAA NCEI
- March 28, 1982Earthquake · M 3.5Chiapas · 1,879 deaths (NOAA)NOAA NCEI
- September 23, 1902Earthquake · M 7.8Central Chiapas, MexicoUSGS · NOAA NCEI · Wikipedia
- July 22, 1816Earthquake · M 7.5 (est.)Soloma · 23 deaths (NOAA)NOAA NCEI · Wikipedia
- 1375Eruption · VEI 5Chichon, ElNOAA NCEI · Wikipedia
Good to know
- An event counts for San Cristóbal de las Casas when it began within 100 km of its centre, or 200 km for an earthquake of magnitude 7 or more. Damage can reach further.
- USGS counts here start at magnitude 6: the catalogue’s smaller quakes thin out going back, where few instruments listened.
- NOAA lists significant events only: earthquakes that killed, did about $1 million of damage, reached magnitude 7.5 or intensity X, or raised a tsunami, and eruptions and tsunamis by like measures. Magnitudes before 1900 are its estimates from written accounts.
- Deaths are NOAA’s total for each event, wherever people died, its tsunami and fires included. A tsunami counts the dead its runup records give for this place: NOAA’s total for a tsunami includes its source quake’s.
- A tsunami from elsewhere counts where one of its runups killed or rose a metre or more.
- Counted to October 19, 2026, as is the map. The last 30 days ask USGS again.
How the layers work, where their data comes from and what they can’t tell you: Earthquakes, live, The world through history
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