April 15, 1941 Earthquake: Michoacan, Colima, Jalisco, Mexico

1941 April 15, 19:09:56.68 UTC, 18.68 N 102.989 W, magnitude 7.6 Mw (reference #10476, v.10)

The earthquake of April 15, 1941, is locally considered to be the most destructive of this century. It destroyed or greatly damaged every church and other substantial building in the region, e.g., the churches at Aquila and Coalcoman. Although this quake was followed by a tsunami, the seismic wave was not notable. (reference #13641)

lt is stated in the news-magazine Time that at the tropical city of Colima, with a population of 20,000, the first shock caused the dam guarding the water supply to collapse, that it disrupted power lines and caused half the buildings in the town to collapse […] At least 36 people in Colima lost their lives. The shock was felt from Jalisco in the north to Oaxaca in the south, while in Mexico City just as lunch time was beginning, towers and signs swayed, church bells tinkled gently, windows rattled and pavements cracked. Mexico's tallest skyscraper, a seventeenstory office building at the corner of the Paseo de la Reforma and the Avenida del Ejido, shook and cracked and a five-story section of glass and facing stone collapsed. Fires broke out, one destroying the El Monte lumberyard after firemen had fought the blaze for six hours. No one was killed in Mexico City though 800,000 dollars worth of damage was done to property. Altogether the earthquake caused near 2,000,000 dollars worth of damage to property and at least 84 people were killed, including 27 at Tuxpan in the State of Jalisco. (reference #13996)

90 dead, 300 injured (reference #13997)