March 28, 1784 Earthquake: Guerrero, Acapulco, Mexico
An earthquake struck Guerrero, Acapulco, Mexico on March 28, 1784. 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
- March 28, 1784
- Place
- Guerrero, Acapulco, Mexico
- Tsunami
- Yes: the tsunami it caused
- Epicenter
- 16.900° N, 99.900° W
- Country
- Mexico
The toll
- Deaths
- Few (about 1 to 50)
- 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.
1784, March 28 to April 4. 35 tremors, great destruction: Guerrero, tsunami in Acapulco, raised to the sea more than 12 feet, casualties. (reference #1195)
1784, March 28. Mexico, tsunami (12 ft), several dead. (reference #1002)
Note: This event is not listed in most earthquake or tsunami catalogs and the description sounds very similar to the event on 1787, March 28. It is very likely describing the 1787 event.
Other significant earthquakes nearby
Within 200 km, the deadliest first.
- July 6, 1964, Guerrero, Mexico
- July 28, 1957, Acapulco,mexico City
- October 3, 1864, Puebla,veracruz,acultzingo,acatzingo, Mexico
- March 28, 1787, San Marcos, Oaxaca, Mexico
- June 7, 1982, Guererro, Orziba, Oaxaca, Guadalupe, Mexico
- April 15, 1907, Guerrero, Mexico
- February 22, 1943, Paricutin Volcano Forms, Guerrero, Mexico
- March 14, 1979, Guerrero, Mexico
- May 11, 1962, Southern Mexico
- December 23, 1937, Ometepec, Guerrero, Mexico
- September 8, 2021, Guerrero, Mexico
- May 19, 1962, Southern Mexico
- April 25, 1989, Mexico City, Acapulco
- September 14, 1995, Guerrero, Oaxaca, Puebla, Mexico City
- January 2, 2026, Guerrero, Mexico
More
Significant earthquakes of 1784The 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 1469.