February 8, 1995 Earthquake: Cali, Pereira, Armenia, Calarca, Colombia
A magnitude 6.4 earthquake struck Cali, Pereira, Armenia, Calarca, Colombia on February 8, 1995 at 18:40:25 UTC, 74 km below the surface. It killed 45 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
- February 8, 1995
- Time
- 18:40:25 UTC
- Place
- Cali, Pereira, Armenia, Calarca, Colombia
- Magnitude
- 6.4 (Mw)
- Focal depth
- 74 km (46 mi)
- Tsunami
- None recorded
- Epicenter
- 4.104° N, 76.622° W
- Country
- Colombia
The toll
- Deaths
- 45
- Missing
- 1 with its tsunami and other effects
- Injuries
- 400
- Damage
- $50 million
- Houses destroyed
- 2,000
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.
Forty-two people killed, nearly 400 injured and over 2,000 buildings damaged or destroyed in the Cali-Pereira area. Landslides blocked two roads in the epicentral area. Damage occurred at Armenia, Calarca, Cali, La Union, Manizales, Pereira, Trujillo and in many other areas of western Colombia.
Felt throughout Colombia. (reference #1053)
In fact, with 45 deaths and approximately 40% of the city's structures affected, Pereira is now facing the after effects of a more devastating event than the 1995 Calima-Darien earthquake, which caused the city over US $50 million in damages. (reference #1279)
Other significant earthquakes nearby
Within 200 km, the deadliest first.
- January 25, 1999, Armenia, Calarca, Pereira, Caldas, Huila, Colombia
- February 19, 1845, Magdalena River, Colombia
- June 6, 1994, Cauca, Huila, Colombia
- March 31, 1983, SW, Popayan, Colombia
- November 23, 1979, Manizales-Armenia, Colombia
- July 30, 1962, Mistrato, Manizales, Colombia
- December 20, 1961, Eje Cafetero, Colombia
- February 5, 1938, Eje Cafetero, Colombia
- November 19, 1991, Chaco, Buenaventura, Cali, Colombia
- January 19, 2024, Valle del Cauca, Colombia
- January 26, 2019, Cauca, Huila, Colombia
- April 24, 1973, Colombia, San Cristobal, Venezuela
- January 5, 2014, Sipi, Colombia
- February 21, 1906, Buenaventura, Colombia
- October 11, 1877, Buenaventura, Colombia
More
Significant earthquakes of 1995The 1900sEvery quake the USGS located in 1995Recent 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 5404.