July 18, 1923 Earthquake: Butuan, Camiguin Island, Philippines

Name: July 18, 1923 Earthquake: Butuan, Camiguin Island, Philippines
Start: 1923-07-18
Location: Butuan, Camiguin Island, Philippines

July 18, 1923 · M5.5

A magnitude 5.5 earthquake struck Butuan, Camiguin Island, Philippines on July 18, 1923 at 02:24:19 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: July 18, 1923
Time: 02:24:19 UTC
Place: Butuan, Camiguin Island, Philippines
Magnitude: 5.5 (Ms)
Intensity: 5 on the Modified Mercalli scale
Tsunami: Yes: the tsunami it caused
Epicenter: 9.300° N, 125.000° E
Country: Philippines

The toll

The record gives no deaths, injuries or damage for this earthquake.

What the record says

NCEI’s account, from the sources it cites.

Reference #414:

1923, July 18, 10:42 [local time], 9.5 N, 127 E, magnitude 5.5 MS. There was an earthquake of intensity 3 degrees at Butuan and on Camiguin Island. It was reported, that several minutes later, during the ebb tide, enormous waves coming from the Surigao Strait were observed at Mambajao. The coast was inundated. The water rose higher than during the greatest flood tides. The rough sea lasted about an hour. No similar reports of rough sea were received from any other places. Repetti (1931): 18.VII; 2h42m19s; 9.3 N, 125 E.

Reference #1187:

1923, July 18. N Luzon: Ilocos Sur; Ilocos Norte;

Abra; Northern Mountain Province; Cagayan - extensive earthquake of Intensity IV-V. Its origin lay probably near to the NW coast of Luzon and the hypocentre was not

very-deep, in spite of its intensity and great extension.

Reference #1058:

1923, July 18, 02:42:19 UTC, 9.3 N, 125 E.

Other significant earthquakes nearby

Within 200 km, the deadliest first.

Significant earthquakes of 1923 The 1900s Every quake the USGS located in 1923 Recent earthquakes near here This 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 6285.