May 9, 1963 Earthquake: Leon, Nicaragua
A magnitude 5.5 earthquake struck Leon, Nicaragua on May 9, 1963 at 15:03:43 UTC, 50 km below the surface.
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 9, 1963
- Time
- 15:03:43 UTC
- Place
- Leon, Nicaragua
- Magnitude
- 5.5 (Ms)
- Focal depth
- 50 km (31 mi)
- Tsunami
- None recorded
- Epicenter
- 12.200° N, 86.900° W
- Country
- Nicaragua
The toll
- Damage
- Limited (under about $1 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 9, 1963, 15:03 UTC, 12.4 N, 87 W, depth 50 km, magnitude 5.5. Earthquake accompanied eruption of V Cerro Negro. Damage at Leon. (reference #1199)
May 9, 1963, 15:03:43.8 UTC, 12.2 N, 86.9 W, depth 50 km. Earthquake at a depth of 50 km accompanying
eruption of Cerro Negro; damage at Leon, Nicaragua. (reference #1040)
Other significant earthquakes nearby
Within 200 km, the deadliest first.
- December 23, 1972, Managua, Nicaragua
- March 31, 1931, Managua, Nicaragua
- May 6, 1951, Jucuapa, El Salvador
- March 31, 1930, Managua, Nicaragua
- September 2, 1992, Masachapa, Costa Rica, Nicaragua
- July 6, 2000, Masaya, Nicaragua
- May 21, 1932, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua
- April 10, 2014, Nagarote, Managua, Nicaragua
- September 28, 2016, Leon, Nicaragua
- October 14, 2014, Gulf of Fonseca, El Salvador
- April 25, 1938, Leon,chinandega, Nicaragua
- May 6, 1938, Leon (Telica Volcano Destroyed), Nicaragua
- October 12, 1885, Leon,chinandega,managua, Nicaragua
- January 24, 1956, Puerto Samoza, Nicaragua
- 1648, Leon, Nicaragua
More
Significant earthquakes of 1963The 1900sEvery quake the USGS located in 1963Recent 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 4291.