November 24, 1987 Earthquake: Superstition Hills, California, United States
A magnitude 6.2 earthquake struck Superstition Hills, California, United States on November 24, 1987 at 01:54:14 UTC, 5 km below the surface. It killed 2 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
- November 24, 1987
- Time
- 01:54:14 UTC
- Place
- Superstition Hills, California, United States
- Magnitude
- 6.2 (Ms)
- Focal depth
- 5 km (3 mi)
- Intensity
- 6 on the Modified Mercalli scale
- Tsunami
- None recorded
- Epicenter
- 33.082° N, 115.775° W
- Country
- United States
The toll
- Deaths
- 2
- Damage
- $3 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.
Two earthquakes on Nov. 24, at 0154 and 1315 UTC caused an estimated $3 million damage in Imperial County. (reference #542)
Two people were killed in an earthquake-related automobile accident about 80 km east of Mexicali, Mexico. (reference #1053)
Other significant earthquakes nearby
Within 200 km, the deadliest first.
- May 19, 1940, California, Mexico, United States
- June 23, 1915, El Centro, California, United States
- December 25, 1899, California, United States
- June 28, 1992, Landers, Yucca Valley, California, United States
- April 4, 2010, Baja California, Mexico
- January 1, 1927, California, Mexico, United States
- June 9, 1980, Northwestern Mexico
- April 21, 1918, San Jacinto, Hemet, California, United States
- April 26, 1981, Westmorland,calipatria, California, United States
- June 15, 2010, Ocotillo, California, United States
- October 15, 1979, Mexicali, Imperial Valley, Mexico, California, United States
- February 24, 1892, San Diego, California, Baja California, USA, Mexico
- November 29, 1852, N. Mexico
- February 9, 2008, Baja California, Mexico
- December 30, 2009, Mexicali, Mexico
More
Significant earthquakes of 1987The 1900sEvery quake the USGS located in 1987Recent 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 5148.