November 12, 1988 Earthquake: St Andrew, Jacks Hill, Jamaica
A magnitude 4.7 earthquake struck St Andrew, Jacks Hill, Jamaica on November 12, 1988 at 03:34:48 UTC, 16 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
- November 12, 1988
- Time
- 03:34:48 UTC
- Place
- St Andrew, Jacks Hill, Jamaica
- Magnitude
- 4.7 (Ms)
- Focal depth
- 16 km (10 mi)
- Intensity
- 6 on the Modified Mercalli scale
- Tsunami
- None recorded
- Epicenter
- 18.068° N, 76.597° W
- Country
- Jamaica
The toll
- Damage
- Moderate (about $1 to $5 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.
Damage (VI) at Kingston and Port Antonio. Felt throughout Jamaica and in the Niquero-Palma Soriano area, Cuba. (reference #1053)
Other significant earthquakes nearby
Within 200 km, the deadliest first.
- June 7, 1692, Port Royal, Jamaica
- January 14, 1907, Kingston, Jamaica
- October 3, 1780, Savanna LA Mar, Jamaica
- April 10, 1824, Kingston, Jamaica
- November 11, 1812, Kingston, Jamaica
- August 12, 1881, Kingston, Jamaica
- February 19, 1893, Kingston, Jamaica
- February 19, 1688, Port Royal, Jamaica
- June 14, 1899, Jamaica
- 1677, Port Royal, Jamaica
- March 1, 1688, Port Royal, Jamaica
- September 3, 1771, Port Royal,kingston, Jamaica
- February 16, 1896, Kingston, Jamaica
- August 1, 1781, Unknown Location, Jamaica
- 1667, Jamaica
More
Significant earthquakes of 1988The 1900sEvery quake the USGS located in 1988Recent 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 5180.