Significant earthquakes of 1868

October 30, 1868 Earthquake: Anhui Province, China

October 30, 1868 · M5.5 · Deaths: some

A magnitude 5.5 earthquake struck Anhui Province, China on October 30, 1868.

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
October 30, 1868
Place
Anhui Province, China
Magnitude
5.5 (Ms)
Intensity
7 on the Modified Mercalli scale
Tsunami
None recorded
Epicenter
32.400° N, 117.800° E
Country
China

The toll

Deaths
Some (about 51 to 100)

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.

October 30,1868, S. of Dingyuan, Anhui Province, 32.4 N, 117.8 E, magnitude 5.5, intensity VI-VII.

A landslide occurred and some people were killed in Laorencang (about 16 km south of the county).

The earthquake also struck Hefei, Huoqiu, Wuhe, Tianchang (Binghui), Lai'an, Chuxian, Quanjiao, Hanshan, Dangtu, Chaoxian and Guichi; as well as Zhenjiang and Suqian of Jiangsu Province.

The earthquake occurred at about 10 a.m. October 29 with roaring, and continued time and again thereafter, till the next year.

(above from reference #3939)

Other significant earthquakes nearby

Within 200 km, the deadliest first.

More

Significant earthquakes of 1868The 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 7987.