June 22, 1932 Earthquake: Central, Mexico
A magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck Central, Mexico on June 22, 1932 at 12:59:30 UTC, 25 km below the surface. It killed 75 people, counting the tsunami it caused.
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
- June 22, 1932
- Time
- 12:59:30 UTC
- Place
- Central, Mexico
- Magnitude
- 7.7 (Mw)
- Focal depth
- 25 km (16 mi)
- Tsunami
- Yes: the tsunami it caused
- Epicenter
- 19.242° N, 104.383° W
- Country
- Mexico
The toll
- Deaths
- 75 with its tsunami and other effects
- Injuries
- 100 with its tsunami and other effects
- Damage
- Severe (about $5 to $25 million)
- Houses destroyed
- 400
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.
1932, June 22. There was a destructive earthquake at Colima, with numerous recurrent aftershocks. The earthquake also generated a destructive tsunami. (reference #415)
In Colima more than 400 houses collapsed. (reference #369)
1932, June 22. Colima, magnitude 7.9, tsunami.(reference #1002)
1932, June 22, 12:59:30.55 UTC. 19.242 N, 104.382 W, 25 depth, magnitude 7.7 (reference #10476)
1932, June 22, 12:59:31.27 UTC. 19.028 N, 104.379 W, 25 depth, magnitude 6.9 (reference #9910)
1932, June 22, 12:59:29.3 UTC. 19.24 N, 104.34 W, magnitude 6.9 (reference #12644)
Different Magnitude Reports:
6.9 MS Reference #415
6.9 MS Reference #79
6.9 MS Reference #236
7.0 MS Reference #369
8.1 MS Reference #82
Reference #1143 describes this earthquake as June 22, 1932 in the text but incorrectly lists the earthquake as June 12, 1932 in the table.
Other significant earthquakes nearby
Within 200 km, the deadliest first.
- May 31, 1818, Morelos-Guerrero,mexico City,guadalajara
- March 25, 1806, Jalisco,oaxaca,michoacan, Mexico
- June 3, 1932, Near Coast of Jalisco, Mexico
- April 15, 1941, Michoacan, Colima, Jalisco, Mexico
- December 27, 1568, Cocula,jalisco, Mexico
- January 30, 1973, S, Farias, Tecoman, Mexico
- October 9, 1995, Jalisco, Manzanillo, San Patricio Melaque, Mexico
- January 22, 2003, Villa DE Alvarez, Colima, Tecoman, Jalisco, Mexico
- February 11, 1875, San Cristobal DE LA Barranca, Mexico
- September 22, 2022, Mexico City, Michoacan
- September 19, 2022, Michoacan, Colima, Jalisco, Mexico
- March 9, 1875, Guadalajara, Mexico City
- November 14, 1573, Colima, Mexico
- July 14, 1739, Colima, Mexico
- March 2, 1896, Colima, Mexico
More
Significant earthquakes of 1932The 1900sEvery quake the USGS located in 1932Recent 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 3497.