Significant earthquakes of 1829

September 26, 1829 Earthquake: Valparaiso, Chile

September 26, 1829 · M7 · Deaths: few

A magnitude 7 earthquake struck Valparaiso, Chile on September 26, 1829 at 19:12 UTC. 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
September 26, 1829
Time
19:12 UTC
Place
Valparaiso, Chile
Magnitude
7 (Ms)
Intensity
11 on the Modified Mercalli scale
Epicenter
33.050° S, 71.630° W
Country
Chile

The toll

Deaths
Few (about 1 to 50)
Damage
Limited (under about $1 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.

September 26, 1829, (14:00, local time). Valparaiso experienced a severe earthquake (6-7 degrees). Four adventurers travelled through the coastal area of Allmendral, announcing that the ocean was rising at San Juan de Dios. This frightened the inhabitants to the point where they abandoned their homes and shops, leaving their possessions to be plundered by the

thieves. (reference #415)

September 26, 1829, 14:30 UTC, 33.050 S, 71.63 W, magnitude 7.0, intensity XI, casualties. (reference #1206)

September 26, 1829, 19:12 UTC. Chile, Valparaiso, Santiago and Casa Blanca, intensity I which corresponds to an earthquake of intensity sufficient to crack walls, break chimneys, to shatter old buildings or to produce cracks in the ground. (reference #1055)

September 26, 1829 at 2 p.m. Valparaiso. This earthquake appears to have been a shock of magnitude about 7, near the epicenter of the 1822 and 1906 shocks. Damage was largely confined to Valparaiso and its surroundings. Intensities in Santiago were of order 6 to 7 on the Mercalli Scale. No tsunami (Table 1). (reference #252)

Other significant earthquakes nearby

Within 200 km, the deadliest first.

More

Significant earthquakes of 1829The 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 1730.