1628 Earthquake: Camalig, Albay, Luzon, Philippines
An earthquake struck Camalig, Albay, Luzon, Philippines in 1628.
Map
Where it struck, with the other significant earthquakes within 200 km. Circles are sized and colored by magnitude; select one for its page.
The earthquake
- Date
- 1628
- Place
- Camalig, Albay, Luzon, Philippines
- Intensity
- 9 on the Modified Mercalli scale
- Tsunami
- None recorded
- Epicenter
- 13.200° N, 123.700° E
- Country
- Philippines
The toll
- Damage
- Severe (about $5 to $25 million)
- Houses destroyed
- Many (101 to 1,000)
- Houses damaged
- Many (101 to 1,000)
Where the literature gives no number, NCEI records a description on a scale of 1 to 4, printed here in its words. Damage is in millions of US dollars of the year of the event, not adjusted for inflation.
What the record says
NCEI’s account, from the sources it cites.
1628, Camarines and Albay, intensity IX. A destructive earthquake in which, it is said, a mountain burst and emitted a river of water and mud which swept away the town of Camarines and others. The name of Camarines was at the time used to designate the present town of Camalig [13.181 N, 123.65 E] and the district near the southern slopes of Mayon Volcano. The flood mentioned was probably an avalanche of water, sand, volcanic ashes and lapilli, such as also on other occasions have occurred on the slopes of the same volcano during periods of torrential rains. (reference #1072)
1628, Philippines, S.E. Luzon (Ambos Camarines and Albay), Camalig, Albay, Nueva Caceres, intensity III which corresponds to an earthquake which destroyed towns and devastated districts. (reference #1055)
Other significant earthquakes nearby
Within 200 km, the deadliest first.
- March 22, 1840, Sorsogon,masbate Is,casiguran,albay, Philippines
- March 17, 1973, Calaug,lopez,guiayangan, Quezon City, Philippines
- July 2, 1954, Sorsogon, Bacon, Legaspi, Luzon, Philippines
- February 5, 1970, Odiongan, Luzon, Romblon I, Tablas I, Philippines
- April 18, 1907, Camarines, SE Luzon, Philippines
- August 18, 2020, Masbate, Philippines
- October 19, 1865, Tiwi,luban,rinconada, SE Luzon, Philippines
- October 5, 1811, Camarines, Philippines
- February 2, 1814, Albay, SE Luzon, Philippines
- July 12, 1931, Masbate, Philippines
- 1747, Naga, SE Luzon Is, Philippines
- May 19, 1875, Nueva,caceres, SE Luzon, Philippines
- March 24, 1887, Camarines, Nueva Caceres, SE Luzon, Philippines
- November 8, 1912, Sorsogon, Philippines
- August 15, 2008, Legaspi, Luzon, Philippines
More
Significant earthquakes of 1628The 1600sRecent earthquakes near here
Sources
Significant earthquakes from NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Information, Global Historical Hazard Database, cited as NCEI/WDS, doi:10.7289/V5PN93H7. Public domain. Read 2026-09-24. NCEI earthquake 912.