Significant earthquakes of 1999

June 15, 1999 Earthquake: Puebla, Veracruz, Oaxaca, Morelos, Guerrero, Mexico

June 15, 1999 · M7 · 20 deaths · $226.8 million

A magnitude 7 earthquake struck Puebla, Veracruz, Oaxaca, Morelos, Guerrero, Mexico on June 15, 1999 at 20:42:05 UTC, 70 km below the surface. It killed 20 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 15, 1999
Time
20:42:05 UTC
Place
Puebla, Veracruz, Oaxaca, Morelos, Guerrero, Mexico
Magnitude
7 (Mw)
Focal depth
70 km (43 mi)
Tsunami
None recorded
Epicenter
18.386° N, 97.436° W
Country
Mexico

The toll

Deaths
20
Injuries
200
Damage
$226.8 million
Houses damaged
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.

Fourteen people killed, about 200 injured and considerable

damage (VIII) to thousands of buildings and several bridges

in Puebla; one person killed by a landslide, dozens injured

and damage to buildings and bridges in Veracruz; one person

killed, dozens injured, many buildings and roads damaged in

Oaxaca; one person killed and some buildings damaged in

Morelos; one person died of a heart attack and some

buildings damaged in Guerrero; two people died of heart

attacks and minor damage to buildings in the Distrito

Federal. Dozens injured and damage in the states of Mexico

and Tlaxcala; two people injured in Hidalgo. A railroad was

damaged between Calco and Mixquic. Felt in much of central

and southern Mexico from Aguascalientes to Chiapas. (reference #1053)

15 killed, $226.8 million damage. (reference #1250)

Other significant earthquakes nearby

Within 200 km, the deadliest first.

More

Significant earthquakes of 1999The 1900sEvery quake the USGS located in 1999Recent 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 5523.