March 26, 1812 Earthquake: La Guaira, Venezuela
A magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck La Guaira, Venezuela on March 26, 1812 at 20:07 UTC, 33 km below the surface. It killed 26,000 people.
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 26, 1812
- Time
- 20:07 UTC
- Place
- La Guaira, Venezuela
- Magnitude
- 7.7
- Focal depth
- 33 km (21 mi)
- Intensity
- 10 on the Modified Mercalli scale
- Tsunami
- Yes: the tsunami it caused
- Epicenter
- 10.600° N, 66.900° W
- Country
- Venezuela
The toll
- Deaths
- 26,000
- 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.
Reports
DateLat.Long.DepthMag.Int.DeathsRef. #181211.0-67.0 40,00010641812 3 1610.3-66.6 12,00010731812 3 26 20,00010511812 3 268.6-71.1 7.7 Ms 5371812 3 26 1607 LT11.5-66.9 X-XI26,00014921812 3 26 1607 LT 6.3 & 7.0 1241812 3 26 1637 LT10.8-66.9 IX25-26,000144521812 3 26 2007 UTC10.6-66.966.3 MsIX 12091812 3 26 2107 UTC10.0-67.025 X12191219"Nine-tenths of Caracas [MMI≅X-XI] was destroyed by the terrible earthquake that extended over a mammoth area. The epicenter was off La Guaira, which felt it strongly, as did Puerto Cabello, Tocyuo, Maiquetia, and other towns along the coast" (O'Loughlin and Lander, 2003). Fiedler (1961) said that it was probably the worst earthquake in Caracas' history. The earthquake killed 10,000 killed in Caracas, 4,000-5,000 at Barquisimeto, 5,000 at Merida, 3,000 at La Guaira, and 3,000 at San Felipe.
Fielder's (1962) isoseismic mapping suggested that there might have been three earthquakes with epicenters in Caracas, San Felipe - Barquismeto, and Merida. One might have have triggered the others. Volcanic eruptions began 35 days later at St. Vincent (O'Loughlin and Lander, 2003).
Other significant earthquakes nearby
Within 200 km, the deadliest first.
- June 24, 2026, Northern Venezuela
- April 12, 1878, Cua, Charallave, San Diego, Venezuela
- July 30, 1967, Venezuela
- June 11, 1641, Caracas,la Guaira,cua, Venezuela
- October 29, 1900, Macuto, Venezuela
- February 6, 1874, Northern Venezuela
- 1906, Maiquetia, Venezuela
- January 31, 1906, Caracas, Venezuela
- September 10, 1837, Santa Teresa del Tuy,santa Lucia, Venezuela
- March 7, 1879, Curiepe,san Juan DE Los Morro, Venezuela
- November 12, 1916, Ocumare DE LA Costa DE Oro, Venezuela
- September 12, 2009, Carabobo, Venezuela
- May 4, 1989, Falcon, Carabobo, Caracas, Venezuela
More
Significant earthquakes of 1812The 1800sRecent 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 1605.