August 27, 1984 Earthquake: Tarutung, N Sumatera, Indonesia
A magnitude 5.2 earthquake struck Tarutung, N Sumatera, Indonesia on August 27, 1984 at 06:41:26 UTC, 33 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
- August 27, 1984
- Time
- 06:41:26 UTC
- Place
- Tarutung, N Sumatera, Indonesia
- Magnitude
- 5.2 (Ms)
- Focal depth
- 33 km (21 mi)
- Tsunami
- None recorded
- Epicenter
- 1.761° N, 99.075° E
- Country
- Indonesia
The toll
- Injuries
- 123
- Damage
- $1 million
- Houses destroyed
- 415
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.
Reference #1053 lists 123 people injured and 350 homes and 65 government buildings damaged in the Tarutung area.
Reference #1250 lists 108 injured, $1 million damage.
Other significant earthquakes nearby
Within 200 km, the deadliest first.
- February 10, 1797, SW. Sumatra, Indonesia
- September 5, 2011, Sumatra, Indonesia
- December 17, 2006, Northern, Muarasipongi, Sumatera, Indonesia
- September 30, 2022, Sumatra, Indonesia
- April 25, 1987, N, Tarutung-Lake Toba,, Sumatera, Indonesia
- March 17, 2025, Tapanuli, N Sumatera, Indonesia
- January 22, 2008, Gunungsitoli, Nias Island, Sumatra, Indonesia
- May 17, 1892, Padangsidimpuan, Lake Toba, Sumatra, Indonesia
- January 5, 1843, SW. Sumatra, Indonesia
- November 11, 1852, Sibolga, Sumatra, Indonesia
- February 4, 1971, Natal, Sibolga, Tarutung, Pasaman, Indonesia
- March 8, 1977, Sumatera,sinurat,talu, Indonesia
- April 26, 1861, SW. Sumatra, Indonesia
- June 17, 1861, SW. Sumatra, Indonesia
More
Significant earthquakes of 1984The 1900sEvery quake the USGS located in 1984Recent 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 5043.