August 19, 1670 Earthquake: Shanghai, China
A magnitude 6.8 earthquake struck Shanghai, China on August 19, 1670. It caused a tsunami.
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
- August 19, 1670
- Place
- Shanghai, China
- Magnitude
- 6.8 (Ms)
- Tsunami
- Yes: the tsunami it caused
- Epicenter
- 33.000° N, 122.500° E
- Country
- China
The toll
- Deaths
- Many (about 101 to 1,000) with its tsunami and other effects
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.
Reference #414:
1670, August 19. 31.5 N, 121.5 E. In China, there was an earthquake in the Shanghai region, which was accompanied by an underground rumble and tsunami waves at Chiating, Nanxiang and Wusong. Many people drowned (according to the chronicle of the Suzhou district).
Reference #150:
1670, August 19. 33 N, 122.5 E, magnitude 6.75. Chiating, Lutienchen and Pau Shan earthquake and tsunami. Many people drowned along the sea coast.
Reference #12988:
1670, August 19. 33 N, 122.5 E, magnitude 6.7 (Ms).
Other significant earthquakes nearby
Within 200 km, the deadliest first.
More
Significant earthquakes of 1670The 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 6020.