September 19, 1939 Earthquake: Yunnan Province, China
A magnitude 5.5 earthquake struck Yunnan Province, China on September 19, 1939. It killed 2 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
- September 19, 1939
- Place
- Yunnan Province, China
- Magnitude
- 5.5 (Ms)
- Intensity
- VII, very strong shaking, on the Modified Mercalli scale
- Tsunami
- None recorded
- Epicenter
- 24.400° N, 102.500° E
- Country
- China
- Region
- East Asia
The toll
- Deaths
- 2
- Damage
- Limited (under about $1 million)
- Houses destroyed
- Few (about 1 to 50)
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.
September 19, 1939, Yuxi, Yunnan Province, 24.4 N, 102.5 E, magnitude 5.5, intensity VII.
Blockhouses in the west of the city and several civilian
houses collapsed by shaking. 2 persons were killed or injured.
The shock was felt in Hexi, Eshan and Kunming, more than 70 km apart.
Foreshocks and qftershocks:
6 foreshocks occurred on September 18.
More than 20 aftershocks occurred on September 19.
More than 10 aftershocks occurred on September 20.
Among them, the shock occurred at a quarter to two (local time) on the early morning was the most serious one. The watchtowers on the south and north city walls and the walls of student's hostel fell. 5-6 battlements fell. Several civilian houses; collapsed by shaking.
(above from reference #3939)
Sources NCEI cites
The publications NCEI lists for this record. The numbers match the “reference #” notes in its account above.
- #3939 Gu Gongxu, Zhou Wenfu, and Wang Renlong (eds.) (1989). Catalogue of Chinese Earthquakes (1831 B.C. - 1969 A.D.). Science Press, Beijing, China; English translation by Li Zengquan et al. provided through UNESCO, 872 pages.
Other significant earthquakes nearby
Within 200 km, the deadliest first.
- January 4, 1970, Hanoi, Yunnan Province, Vietnam, China
- January 4, 1500, Yiliang, Yunnan Province, China
- 1499, Yi Liang, Yunnan Province, China
- September 6, 1833, Yunnan Province, China
- September 9, 1680, Yunnan Province, China
- February 26, 1713, S of Xundian, Yunnan Province, China
- August 27, 1799, Yunnan Province, China
- December 16, 1887, Yunnan Province, China
- November 30, 1606, Jianshui, Yunnan Province, China
- December 30, 1763, Yunnan Province, China
- December 21, 1913, Yunnan Province, China
- November 24, 1814, Siping, Yunnan Province, China
- January 8, 1725, Songming, Yiliang, Yunnan Province, China
- January 27, 1755, Yunnan Province, China
- April 6, 1940, Yunnan Province, China
More
Significant earthquakes of 1939The 1900sEvery quake the USGS located in 1939Recent 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 2026-10-01. NCEI earthquake 8013.