April 3, 1983 Earthquake: W, SE, Panama, Costa Rica
A magnitude 7.5 earthquake struck W, SE, Panama, Costa Rica on April 3, 1983 at 02:50:02 UTC, 30 km below the surface. It killed 6 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
- April 3, 1983
- Time
- 02:50:02 UTC
- Place
- W, SE, Panama, Costa Rica
- Magnitude
- 7.5 (Mw)
- Focal depth
- 30 km (19 mi)
- Tsunami
- Yes: the tsunami it caused
- Epicenter
- 8.677° N, 83.098° W
- Country
- Costa Rica
The toll
- Deaths
- 6
- Injuries
- Some (about 51 to 100)
- Damage
- $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.
Five people died from heart attacks, one person killed by a collapsing house, and several people injured in southeastern Costa Rica. Also felt strongly in southwestern panama. (reference #1053)
$1 million damage, 10 killed. (reference #1250)
1983 April 03 02:50:02.79 UTC, 8.677 N 83.098 W, magnitude 7.45 Mw, depth 30 (reference #10476, v 9.1)
Other significant earthquakes nearby
Within 200 km, the deadliest first.
- May 4, 1910, Cartago, San Jose, Costa Rica
- April 22, 1991, Limon, Pandora, Panama, Costa Rica
- December 30, 1952, Costa Rica
- November 20, 2004, San Jose, Parrita, Quepos, Costa Rica
- December 5, 1941, Costa Rica-Panama
- December 25, 2003, Puerto Armuelles, Panama-Costa Rica
- July 3, 1983, San Jose, Costa Rica
- July 10, 1993, Turrialba, Cartago, Costa Rica
- November 13, 2017, Jaco, Costa Rica
- December 22, 1990, Alajuela, Santiago DE Puriscal, Costa Rica
- August 5, 1854, Costa Rica-Panama
- August 7, 1854, Costa Rica-Panama
- May 26, 2008, Panama-Costa Rica
- February 4, 2004, Chiriqui, Panama-Costa Rica
- July 1, 1979, Puerto Armuelles, Panama-Costa Rica
More
Significant earthquakes of 1983The 1900sEvery quake the USGS located in 1983Recent 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 4972.