April 21, 1995 Earthquake: Samar, Philippines
A magnitude 7.2 earthquake struck Samar, Philippines on April 21, 1995 at 00:34:46 UTC, 21 km below the surface. It caused a tsunami.
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
- April 21, 1995
- Time
- 00:34:46 UTC
- Place
- Samar, Philippines
- Magnitude
- 7.2 (Mw)
- Focal depth
- 21 km (13 mi)
- Tsunami
- Yes: the tsunami it caused
- Epicenter
- 12.059° N, 125.580° E
- Country
- Philippines
The toll
- Damage
- Limited (under about $1 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.
Some damage occurred at Borongan and Sulat. Felt (IV RF) at Butuan, Mindanao; (III RF) on Masbate; (II RF) on Cebu and at Cagayan de Oro, Mindanao. Also felt at Davao, Mindanao. Local tsunami generated with maximum wave heights (peak-to- trough) of 10 cm recorded at Legaspi, Luzon. (Reference #1053)
On the 21st of April 1995, three large magnitude earthquakes occurred within a 25 minute-period in the offshore area east of Samar Island. The events occurred at 8:09 AM, 8:30 AM and 8:34 AM. The first event had a magnitude of Ms 6.9, the second had a Ms of 7.2 and the third had a Ms of 7.3. The first two events did not cause serious damage but the third one at 8:34 AM caused damages in the towns of Borongan and Sulat in Eastern Samar province (Tungol et al, 1995). This quake was felt as far as Davao City in the south and Legaspi City in the north. (reference #10958)
Other significant earthquakes nearby
Within 200 km, the deadliest first.
- September 30, 2025, Cebu, Central Visayas, Philippines
- July 6, 2017, Leyte, Philippines
- August 22, 2017, Ormoc, Leyte, Philippines
- August 18, 2020, Masbate, Philippines
- November 18, 2003, Can-Avid, Samar, Philippines
- October 31, 1975, Philippines
- August 31, 2012, Cagayan DE Oro, Tacloban, Philippines
- April 21, 1995, Samar, Philippines
- October 18, 1897, Northern Samar, Philippines
- October 19, 1897, Northern Samar, Philippines
- October 20, 1897, Northern Samar, Philippines
- November 17, 1988, Catarman, Catbalogan, Samar, Philippines
- November 13, 1925, Samar I, Laoang I, Batag I, Philippines
- February 7, 1890, Catbalogan,barugo, Samar,leyte, Philippines
- February 15, 2003, Masbate, Dimasalang, Philippines
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 6492.