Significant earthquakes of 1919

August 19, 1919 Earthquake: Lara, Maracaibo, Venezuela

August 19, 1919

An earthquake struck Lara, Maracaibo, Venezuela on August 19, 1919. 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
August 19, 1919
Place
Lara, Maracaibo, Venezuela
Epicenter
10.600° N, 71.600° W
Country
Venezuela

The toll

Damage
Moderate (about $1 to $5 million) with its tsunami and other effects

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.

El Nuevo Diario, expresa: "Lara.- El 19 de corriente, a las 5 y 3 cuartos pm se sintió aquí un rápido pero ruidoso temblor de tierra. Los techos se zarandearon con estruendo y causó la natural alarma." ("Temblor", El Nuevo Diario, 29 de agosto de 1919, p. 7). [El Nuevo Diario states: "Lara. - 19th of this months, at 5:45pm a quick but loud earthquake was felt. The roofs shook loudly cuasing natural alarm." ("Temblor", El Nuevo Diario, 29 of August 1919, p. 7)] (reference #11659)

Other significant earthquakes nearby

Within 200 km, the deadliest first.

More

Significant earthquakes of 1919The 1900sEvery quake the USGS located in 1919Recent 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 10214.