May 22, 1942 Earthquake: Colombia
A magnitude 5.8 earthquake struck Colombia on May 22, 1942 at 10:30:36 UTC, 130 km below the surface. It caused a tsunami.
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
- May 22, 1942
- Time
- 10:30:36 UTC
- Place
- Colombia
- Magnitude
- 5.8 (Ms)
- Focal depth
- 130 km (81 mi)
- Tsunami
- Yes: the tsunami it caused
- Epicenter
- 4.600° N, 74.500° W
- Country
- Colombia
The toll
- 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.
May 22, 1942, 10h30m50s, there was an earthquake (4.5 N, 75 W, depth 130 km, magnitude 5.75) felt in Colombia in the region of Buenaventura Gulf. According to press reports, soon after the earthquake, Gorgona Island in Buenaventura Gulf was flooded by an enormous wave. However, the record of the tide gauge set up in this bay shows no unusual oscillations in level in the time interval in question. (reference #415)
May 22, 1942, 10:30.6 UTC, 4.6 N, 74.5 W, nearly all buildings in Giardot damaged. (reference #45)
Other significant earthquakes nearby
Within 200 km, the deadliest first.
- January 25, 1999, Armenia, Calarca, Pereira, Caldas, Huila, Colombia
- February 19, 1845, Magdalena River, Colombia
- June 16, 1805, Honda,mariquita, Colombia
- February 9, 1967, Huila, Neiva, Rivera,san Antonio, Colombia
- November 23, 1979, Manizales-Armenia, Colombia
- December 20, 1961, Eje Cafetero, Colombia
- July 12, 1785, Bogota,engativa,caxica,soacha, Colombia
- December 22, 1923, Gachala,gacheta,ubala,medina, Colombia
- January 19, 1995, Bogota, Manizales, Miraflores, Colombia
- September 4, 1966, Colombia
- May 24, 2008, Meta, Quetame, Colombia
- February 5, 1938, Eje Cafetero, Colombia
- August 31, 1917, Bogota, Ubaque, Soacha, Caqueza, Colombia
- August 17, 2023, Bogota, Boyaca, Cundinamarca, Meta,, Colombia
- January 19, 2024, Valle del Cauca, Colombia
More
Significant earthquakes of 1942The 1900sEvery quake the USGS located in 1942Recent 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 3704.