December 14, 1950 Earthquake: Acapulco, Mexico
A magnitude 7.5 earthquake struck Acapulco, Mexico on December 14, 1950 at 14:15:49 UTC, 50 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
- December 14, 1950
- Time
- 14:15:49 UTC
- Place
- Acapulco, Mexico
- Magnitude
- 7.5 (Ms)
- Focal depth
- 50 km (31 mi)
- Intensity
- 5 on the Modified Mercalli scale
- Tsunami
- Yes: the tsunami it caused
- Epicenter
- 16.480° N, 98.220° W
- Country
- Mexico
The toll
- Damage
- Severe (about $5 to $25 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.
December 14, 1960 an earthquake with magnitude Ms=7.3 and
epicenter located at 17.2 N and 98.1 W, was felt in
the SE and center of Mexico. In Mexico City it was
felt with an intensity of V on the Mercalli scale. It
generated a small tsunami which registered on the tidal
gauge in Acapulco. (reference #369)
1950, December 14, 8:16 [local time] a heavy earthquake, 17 N, 97.5 W, magnitude 7.25, in the southeast and center of Mexico did considerable damage. It was felt in the capital with an intensity of about 5 degrees; the residents took to the streets in panic; stucco and tiles fell; a wall of a 13-story building crashed down; electrical circuits were broken. The earthquake generated a series of waves. (reference #415)
December 14, 1950, 14:15:49 UTC, 16 deg 29 min N, 98 deg 13 min W, depth 50 km, magnitude 7.5, intensity V, some damage. (reference #1234)
December 14, 1950, 15:15:48 UTC, Oaxaca, Mexico, 17 N, 98 W, magnitude 7.3, felt. (reference #45)
December 14, 1950, 15:15:51 UTC, 17 N, 97.5 W, magnitude 7.3, depth 23 km. (reference #130)
December 14, 1950, 14:16 UTC, 17 N, 98 W, magnitude 7.3, shallow depth. (reference #79)
Other significant earthquakes nearby
Within 200 km, the deadliest first.
- October 24, 1980, S, Huajapan DE Leon, Oaxaca, Mexico
- July 28, 1957, Acapulco,mexico City
- September 30, 1999, Oaxaca, Mexico
- August 2, 1968, Oaxaca, Guerrero, Mexico
- February 16, 2018, Oaxaca, Mexico
- March 28, 1787, San Marcos, Oaxaca, Mexico
- June 7, 1982, Guererro, Orziba, Oaxaca, Guadalupe, Mexico
- November 29, 1978, Oaxaca, Mexico
- April 15, 1907, Guerrero, Mexico
- July 19, 1882, Puebla,huahuapan,huamuxtitlan,xalpatlahuac, Mexico
- December 23, 1937, Ometepec, Guerrero, Mexico
- May 5, 1854, Veracruz,oaxaca, Mexico
- June 17, 1928, Oaxaca, Mexico
- May 11, 1962, Southern Mexico
- September 14, 1995, Guerrero, Oaxaca, Puebla, Mexico City
More
Significant earthquakes of 1950The 1900sEvery quake the USGS located in 1950Recent 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 3964.