July 26, 1937 Earthquake: Esperanza, Veracruz, Central, Puebla, Mexico
A magnitude 7.2 earthquake struck Esperanza, Veracruz, Central, Puebla, Mexico on July 26, 1937 at 03:47:09 UTC, 35 km below the surface. It killed 34 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
- July 26, 1937
- Time
- 03:47:09 UTC
- Place
- Esperanza, Veracruz, Central, Puebla, Mexico
- Magnitude
- 7.2 (mb)
- Focal depth
- 35 km (22 mi)
- Tsunami
- None recorded
- Epicenter
- 18.523° N, 95.878° W
- Country
- Mexico
The toll
- Deaths
- 34
- Damage
- Moderate (about $1 to $5 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.
1937 July 26, 3h, Magnitude 7.7, destructive in Esperanza Pue. and Maltrata, Ver. (reference #1234, #1195)
1937 July 26, 03:47:11, 18.4 N 95.8 W, depth 100km, magnitude 7.3, (reference #88)
An earthquake which occurred at 9:48 P.M. was felt over a large area. The railroad town of Maltrata in the state of Vera Cruz was hardest hit. Many buildings were badly damaged; 34 deaths were reported in the states of Vera Cruz and Puebla. Thousands were left homeless. The United States Coast and Geodetic Survey reports an earthquake at 3h47m1, G.M.T. (July 26), with epicenter at 18033 ' N, 95°44 ' W, in the state of Vera Cruz. (reference #13233)
1937 July 26, 03:47:9.4, 18.523 N 95.878 W, depth 35km, magnitude 7.2 Mb, (reference #9910)
Other significant earthquakes nearby
Within 200 km, the deadliest first.
- January 3, 1920, Patlanala, Cozautlan, Puebla, Veracruz, Mexico
- August 28, 1973, Veracruz, Mexico City
- August 26, 1959, Gulf of Campeche, Mexico
- June 15, 1999, Puebla, Veracruz, Oaxaca, Morelos, Guerrero, Mexico
- July 29, 2014, Oaxaca, Mexico
- January 30, 2002, San Andres Tuxtla, Tuxtepec, Veracruz, Mexico
- 1523, Veracruz, Mexico
- February 7, 1871, Minatitlan, Mexico
- April 16, 1928, Oaxaca, Mexico
- March 15, 1604, Oaxaca, Mexico
- January 8, 1608, Oaxaca, Mexico
- February 13, 1620, Oaxaca, Mexico
- June 7, 1662, Oaxaca, Mexico
- March 19, 1682, Oaxaca,mexico City
- May 15, 1714, Oaxaca, Veracruz, Mexico
More
Significant earthquakes of 1937The 1900sEvery quake the USGS located in 1937Recent 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 3595.