March 9, 1845 Earthquake: Oaxaca, Mexico
A magnitude 7.5 earthquake struck Oaxaca, Mexico on March 9, 1845.
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 9, 1845
- Place
- Oaxaca, Mexico
- Magnitude
- 7.5 (Ms)
- Intensity
- 5 on the Modified Mercalli scale
- Tsunami
- None recorded
- Epicenter
- 16.600° N, 97.000° W
- Country
- Mexico
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.
1845 March 09, destructive in Oaxaca (reference #1195)
1845 March 09, Mexicoo, Oaxaca, Puebla, also Atlantic and Pacific coasts (reference #1055)
1845 March 09. Significant and widespread damage was reported in the city of Oaxaca and towns in the state. The towers and vaults of many churches were damaged and, in particular, the church of St. Paul was ruined. It is reported that in most of the towns of Oaxaca the churches lost their towers, although there are no detailed descriptions of the specific sites. Interpretation by the Instituto de Geofisica: It seems to be an earthquake of intermediate depth in the sierra of Oaxaca. Two sources indicate that these were felt more strongly in Teotitlan, Choapan and Tuxtepec, Oax.; this observation helps to pinpoint the location of the epicenter. (reference #13024)
Other significant earthquakes nearby
Within 200 km, the deadliest first.
- August 28, 1973, Veracruz, Mexico City
- September 30, 1999, Oaxaca, Mexico
- May 11, 1870, Oaxaca,zanaguia,san Francisco Ozolotepec, Mexico
- August 2, 1968, Oaxaca, Guerrero, Mexico
- February 16, 2018, Oaxaca, Mexico
- March 28, 1787, San Marcos, Oaxaca, Mexico
- June 23, 2020, Oaxaca, Mexico
- November 29, 1978, Oaxaca, Mexico
- June 7, 1982, Guererro, Orziba, Oaxaca, Guadalupe, Mexico
- October 5, 1801, Oaxaca, Mexico
- July 19, 1882, Puebla,huahuapan,huamuxtitlan,xalpatlahuac, Mexico
- August 23, 1965, Mexico City, Oaxaca
- June 17, 1928, Oaxaca, Mexico
- May 5, 1854, Veracruz,oaxaca, Mexico
- December 23, 1937, Ometepec, Guerrero, Mexico
More
Significant earthquakes of 1845The 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 1868.