September 1, 1981 Earthquake: Pago Pago, Apia, American Samoa
A magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck Pago Pago, Apia, American Samoa on September 1, 1981 at 09:29:31 UTC, 25 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
- September 1, 1981
- Time
- 09:29:31 UTC
- Place
- Pago Pago, Apia, American Samoa
- Magnitude
- 7.7 (Ms)
- Focal depth
- 25 km (16 mi)
- Intensity
- 6 on the Modified Mercalli scale
- Tsunami
- Yes: the tsunami it caused
- Epicenter
- 14.960° S, 173.085° W
- Country
- Samoa
The toll
- Deaths
- Few (about 1 to 50) with its tsunami and other effects
- Damage
- Limited (under about $1 million) with its tsunami and other effects
- Houses destroyed
- Few (about 1 to 50) with its tsunami and other effects
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.
On September 1, 1981, an earthquake occurred with its source at the northern extremity of the deep water Tonga Trench. The tsunami generated by the earthquake caused destruction on the southwestern coast of Samoa. (reference #417)
Other significant earthquakes nearby
Within 200 km, the deadliest first.
More
Significant earthquakes of 1981The 1900sEvery quake the USGS located in 1981Recent 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 4927.