December 13, 1982 Earthquake: Dhamar, Yemen
A magnitude 6 earthquake struck Dhamar, Yemen on December 13, 1982 at 09:12:48 UTC, 5 km below the surface. It killed 2,800 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
- December 13, 1982
- Time
- 09:12:48 UTC
- Place
- Dhamar, Yemen
- Magnitude
- 6 (Ms)
- Focal depth
- 5 km (3 mi)
- Intensity
- 8 on the Modified Mercalli scale
- Tsunami
- None recorded
- Epicenter
- 14.701° N, 44.379° E
- Country
- Yemen
The toll
- Deaths
- 2,800
- Injuries
- 1,500
- Damage
- $2 billion
- Houses destroyed
- Very many (over 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.
Unconfirmed reports of 2,800 people kiled, 1,500 injured, 700,000 homless and about 300 villages destroyed or badly damaged in Yemen. Maximum intensity VIII in the Dawran-Risabah area. Felt throiughout Yemena and in the Najran area, Saudi Arabia. Landslides occurred in the epicentral area, as well as extensional ground cracks trending north-northwest in zones up to 15 km in length. This is the first instrumentally located hypocenter in the Dhamar region. (reference #1053)
1507 deaths, 1,500 injuries, and $2000 million damage. (reference #1250)
Other significant earthquakes nearby
Within 200 km, the deadliest first.
More
Significant earthquakes of 1982The 1900sEvery quake the USGS located in 1982Recent 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 4954.