April 22, 1997 Earthquake: Tobago, Trinidad and Tobago
A magnitude 6.7 earthquake struck Tobago, Trinidad and Tobago on April 22, 1997 at 09:31:23 UTC, 5 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
- April 22, 1997
- Time
- 09:31:23 UTC
- Place
- Tobago, Trinidad and Tobago
- Magnitude
- 6.7 (Mw)
- Focal depth
- 5 km (3 mi)
- Tsunami
- None recorded
- Epicenter
- 11.112° N, 60.892° W
- Country
- Trinidad and Tobago
The toll
- Injuries
- 2
- Damage
- $25 million
- Houses destroyed
- 3
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 people injured, three houses destroyed and extensive damage in the western part of Tobago. Damage estimated at more than 25 million U.S. dollars. One of the largest known earthquakes to occur on or near Trinidad and Tobago. Seismicity in this possible triple junction zone results from the highly oblique, right-lateral collision between the Caribbean and South American plates and subduction of either the North or South American plate beneath the Caribbean plate. (reference #1053)
Other significant earthquakes nearby
Within 200 km, the deadliest first.
- January 10, 1888, St George'S, Trinidad, Grenada, Trinidad and Tobago
- September 29, 2006, Gasparillo, Trinidad, Trinidad and Tobago
- September 21, 1825, Port-Of-Spain, Trinidad, Trinidad and Tobago
- December 2, 2004, Mayaro, Trinidad, Trinidad and Tobago
- September 29, 2006, Port-Of-Spain, Trinidad, Trinidad and Tobago
- 1795, Port-Of-Spain, Trinidad, Trinidad and Tobago
- December 3, 1831, Trinidad & St. Christopher, Trinidad and Tobago
More
Significant earthquakes of 1997The 1900sEvery quake the USGS located in 1997Recent 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 5459.