Significant earthquakes of 1994

June 9, 1994 Earthquake: Arequipa, Felt IN N and S America, Bolivia-Peru

June 9, 1994 · M8.2 · 5 deaths

A magnitude 8.2 earthquake struck Arequipa, Felt IN N and S America, Bolivia-Peru on June 9, 1994 at 00:33:16 UTC, 631 km below the surface. It killed 5 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
June 9, 1994
Time
00:33:16 UTC
Place
Arequipa, Felt IN N and S America, Bolivia-Peru
Magnitude
8.2 (Mw)
Focal depth
631 km (392 mi)
Intensity
6 on the Modified Mercalli scale
Tsunami
None recorded
Epicenter
13.841° S, 67.553° W
Country
Bolivia

The toll

Deaths
5
Injuries
Many (about 101 to 1,000)
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.

Unconfirmed reports of five people killed in Peru; three in Arequipa Province by a landslide collapsing their house and two in Cuzco Province; one by falling debris and another by a heart attack. Numerous injuries and landslides occurred in southern Peru. Damage (VI) at La Paz. In Cochabamba, La Paz and Oruro, a large number of windows broke in tall buildings, and some structural damage occurred. Some minor structural damage also occurred at Brasilia, Campo Grande, Porto Velho and Manaus, Brazil; Arica, Chile and Tacna, Peru. Felt in many parts of South America, including most of Argentina, Bolivia and Brazil. Felt lightly in Uruguay. Felt (IV) at Arequipa, Moquegua, Puno and Tacna; (III) at Moyobamba, Rioja and Tarapoto, Peru. Felt (IV) at Arica, (III) at Iquique,(II) at Copiapo and (I) at Santiago, Chile. Felt (IV) at Guayaquil and (III) at Quito, Ecuador. Felt on Puerto Rico and in the Dominican Republic. Felt at many locations in North America, including Los Angeles,

California; Renton, Washington; Omaha, Nebraska; Sioux City, Iowa; Minneapolis, Minnesota; La Crosse, Wisconsin; Chicago, Illinois; Parkersburg, West Virginia; Norwich, Connecticut; Boston, Massachusetts and Toronto, Canada. This is the first earthquake from this part of South America believed to have been felt in North America and is also believed to be the largest ever recorded in this general area. Three events with intervals of about 11.5 seconds between each event. Depth from broadband displacement seismograms, based on second event. (reference #1053)

Other significant earthquakes nearby

Within 200 km, the deadliest first.

More

Significant earthquakes of 1994The 1900sEvery quake the USGS located in 1994Recent 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 5388.