February 19, 1645 Earthquake: Ecuador
A magnitude 7.5 earthquake struck Ecuador on February 19, 1645.
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
- February 19, 1645
- Place
- Ecuador
- Magnitude
- 7.5
- Tsunami
- None recorded
- Epicenter
- 1.700° S, 78.600° W
- Country
- Ecuador
The toll
- Deaths
- Many (about 101 to 1,000)
- Damage
- Moderate (about $1 to $5 million)
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.
Riobamba destroyed, many dead. Note: this reference lists 2 separate earthquakes on 19 Feb 1645, 1.7 S 78.6 W and 0.2 S 78.5 W (reference #1127)
Other significant earthquakes nearby
Within 200 km, the deadliest first.
- February 4, 1797, Riobamba, Quito, Cuzco, Peru, Colombia, Ecuador
- June 20, 1698, Tungurahua,cotopaxi,chimborazo, Ecuador
- August 5, 1949, Tungurahua, Ecuador
- February 1640, Ecuador
- February 22, 1757, Cotopaxi,tungurahua, Latacunga, Ecuador
- March 3, 1924, Ecuador
- March 28, 1996, Cotopaxi, Pastaza, Tungurahua, Ambato, Ecuador
- March 18, 2023, Tumbes, Azuay, El Oro, Guayas, Peru, Ecuador
- July 30, 1960, Ecuador
- August 18, 1980, W, Guayaquil, Ecuador
- August 11, 1990, Pamasqui, Quito, Ecuador
- August 12, 2014, Quito, Ecuador
- September 22, 1987, Ambato, Latacunga, Riobamba, Ecuador
- October 3, 1995, Quito, Ecuador
- January 31, 2018, Pastaza, Ecuador
More
Significant earthquakes of 1645The 1600sRecent earthquakes near hereThis day in weather history
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 959.