May 24, 1750 Earthquake: Tarbes, Lourdes, France
An earthquake struck Tarbes, Lourdes, France on May 24, 1750.
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
- May 24, 1750
- Place
- Tarbes, Lourdes, France
- Intensity
- 9 on the Modified Mercalli scale
- Tsunami
- None recorded
- Epicenter
- 43.200° N, 0.800° E
- Country
- France
The toll
- Deaths
- Some (about 51 to 100)
- Damage
- Severe (about $5 to $25 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.
May 24, 1750. South France, in and about the Pyrenees, also at Rodez, Montpellier, Narbonne, Toulouse, Medoe, Pons in Saintonge, Macaire in Guyenne, Bordeaux and 12 leagues to the west of Bordeaux, Tarbes. Intensity II which corresponds to buildings may be unroofed or shattered and some may fall, the ground may be badly cracked in places and small landslips occur. (reference #1055)
Night between May 24 and 25, 1750. Several parts of the South of France, in and about the Pyrenees. Felt at Rodez, Montpellier, Narbonne, Toulouse, Medoe, Pous in Saintonge, Macaire in Guyenne, Bordeaux and for 12 leagues to the west of this last place. Many very violent shocks, renewed at some places all through the month of June. At Tarbes four shocks were felt from 10 at night to 5 the next morning, and on the 26th, three more. The shocks were most violent in the Pyrenees. Masses of rock were thrown down in the valley of Lavedan. Several houses also were thrown down, and at Tarbes an old tower. Preceded by subterranean murmurings. (reference #521)
May 25, 1750, intensity 9.5. In France: Earthquake felt in Bordeauxa Montpellier. Pleistoseismic zone in the Bigorre and the Lavedan. Several houses damaged in the districts of Lourdes and St Savin. The following day: a tower collapsed at Tarbes. (reference #1093)
May 24, 1750, Pyrenees, several deaths. St Savin intensity VIII. (reference #1159)
Other significant earthquakes nearby
Within 200 km, the deadliest first.
- February 2, 1428, Olot, Prats DE Mollo, Spain, France
- May 22, 1814, Gan,oloron,louvie-Juzon,benejacq,tarbes, France
- July 24, 1911, Nay,benejacq,aramits,arros,gan,bosdarros, France
- June 21, 1660, Bagneres DE Bigorre,lourdes,bordeaux, France
- November 17, 2006, Pyrenees, France
- July 20, 1854, Bagneres, Gripp, Lourdes, Arges, France
- August 13, 1967, Arette,lanne,montory,aramits,haux,sunhar, France
- February 2, 1374, Ribagorza, Spain
More
Significant earthquakes of 1750The 1700sRecent 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 1306.