March 11, 1933 Earthquake: Long Beach, California, United States
A magnitude 6.3 earthquake struck Long Beach, California, United States on March 11, 1933 at 01:54:07 UTC, 16 km below the surface. It killed 120 people.
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 11, 1933
- Time
- 01:54:07 UTC
- Place
- Long Beach, California, United States
- Magnitude
- 6.3 (ML)
- Focal depth
- 16 km (10 mi)
- Intensity
- 9 on the Modified Mercalli scale
- Tsunami
- Yes: the tsunami it caused
- Epicenter
- 33.620° N, 117.970° W
- Country
- United States
The toll
- Deaths
- 120
- Damage
- $41 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.
Reference #1038 lists 120 killed, $41 million dollars damage. Fire damage insignificant
Reference #1074 lists over 100 deaths, $40 million dollars damage
Reference #1128 lists 115 deaths, $40 million dollars damage
1933, March 10, 17:54 local time. In Rothe's survey, it is suggested that the known earthquake at Long Beach was accompanied by a tsunami. Iida et al., (1967) in their catalogue, indicated that waves with an amplitude of 10 cm and a period of 19 minutes were observed in the Long Beach region, but it is noted that the data are unreliable. Gutenberg, Richter (1954): 11.III; 01 h, 54 m, 08 s; 33.6 N., 118 W.; M=6 1/4 (Reference #415).
The number of deaths is placed at 120, of which 52 were in Long Beach and 17 in Compton[...]Total property loss in the shaken area is estimated to be $41,000,000. (reference #3474)
Other significant earthquakes nearby
Within 200 km, the deadliest first.
- February 9, 1971, San Fernando, California, United States
- January 17, 1994, Northridge, California, United States
- December 8, 1812, San Juan Capistrano, California, United States
- July 21, 1952, Kern County, California, United States
- October 1, 1987, Whittier, California, United States
- December 25, 1899, California, United States
- June 28, 1992, Landers, Yucca Valley, California, United States
- June 28, 1991, Arcadia, Glendale, Los Angeles, California, United States
- October 4, 1987, Whittier, Pasadena, California, United States
- August 31, 1930, Southern, California, United States
- April 21, 1918, San Jacinto, Hemet, California, United States
- December 21, 1812, Purisima, California, United States
- August 15, 1951, Terminal Island, California, United States
- January 25, 1955, Terminal Island, California, United States
- November 17, 1949, Southern, California, United States
More
Significant earthquakes of 1933The 1900sEvery quake the USGS located in 1933Recent 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 3516.