1788 Earthquake: Abomey, Agunah, Kana, Benin, Togo
A magnitude 5.6 earthquake struck Abomey, Agunah, Kana, Benin, Togo in 1788.
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
- 1788
- Place
- Abomey, Agunah, Kana, Benin, Togo
- Magnitude
- 5.6
- Intensity
- 8 on the Modified Mercalli scale
- Tsunami
- None recorded
- Epicenter
- 7.600° N, 1.700° E
- Country
- Togo
The toll
- 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.
A damaging shock in Togo was strongly felt in Agunah, Abomey, Kana and several of the neighbouring villages. At Abomey it was strong enough to shake down part of the palace walls and cause damage to other places which are not specified (Dalzel, 1793 ; Burton, 1893). There is some evidence that the shock was felt in the Ashanti territory and beyond, causing considerable concern. The date is not given. (reference #1214)
Other significant earthquakes nearby
Within 200 km, the deadliest first.
More
Significant earthquakes of 1788The 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 1498.