1774 Earthquake: Cayenne, French Guiana
An earthquake struck Cayenne, French Guiana in 1774.
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
- 1774
- Place
- Cayenne, French Guiana
- Tsunami
- None recorded
- Epicenter
- 4.900° N, 52.300° W
- Country
- French Guiana
The toll
- 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.
1774. At Cayenne, a violent earthquake caused a lot of damage. (reference #1532)
1774, midnight, before August 6. Violent shocks at Cayenne. (reference #496)
Other significant earthquakes nearby
Within 200 km, the deadliest first.
More
Significant earthquakes of 1774The 1700sRecent 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 1419.