October 24, 1980 Earthquake: S, Huajapan DE Leon, Oaxaca, Mexico
A magnitude 6.4 earthquake struck S, Huajapan DE Leon, Oaxaca, Mexico on October 24, 1980 at 14:53:35 UTC, 72 km below the surface. It killed 300 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
- October 24, 1980
- Time
- 14:53:35 UTC
- Place
- S, Huajapan DE Leon, Oaxaca, Mexico
- Magnitude
- 6.4 (Ms)
- Focal depth
- 72 km (45 mi)
- Intensity
- 9 on the Modified Mercalli scale
- Tsunami
- None recorded
- Epicenter
- 18.211° N, 98.240° W
- Country
- Mexico
The toll
- Deaths
- 300
- Injuries
- Many (about 101 to 1,000)
- Damage
- $5 million
- Houses destroyed
- Many (101 to 1,000)
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.
At least 300 people reported killed, many injured, approximately 150,000 homeless and extensive damage in central Mexico, mainly in the Huajuapan de Leon area. Felt throughout central and southern Mexico and in Guatemala. (reference #1053)
Reference #1250 lists $5 million damage.
Other significant earthquakes nearby
Within 200 km, the deadliest first.
- January 3, 1920, Patlanala, Cozautlan, Puebla, Veracruz, Mexico
- August 28, 1973, Veracruz, Mexico City
- September 19, 2017, Mexico City, Morelos, Puebla
- June 15, 1999, Puebla, Veracruz, Oaxaca, Morelos, Guerrero, Mexico
- August 2, 1968, Oaxaca, Guerrero, Mexico
- March 28, 1787, San Marcos, Oaxaca, Mexico
- June 7, 1982, Guererro, Orziba, Oaxaca, Guadalupe, Mexico
- July 19, 1882, Puebla,huahuapan,huamuxtitlan,xalpatlahuac, Mexico
- December 23, 1937, Ometepec, Guerrero, Mexico
- May 11, 1962, Southern Mexico
- September 14, 1995, Guerrero, Oaxaca, Puebla, Mexico City
- May 19, 1962, Southern Mexico
- April 25, 1989, Mexico City, Acapulco
- January 16, 1902, Guerrero, Mexico
- January 2, 2026, Guerrero, Mexico
More
Significant earthquakes of 1980The 1900sEvery quake the USGS located in 1980Recent 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 4899.