September 25, 2002 Earthquake: Acapulco, Mexico
A magnitude 5.3 earthquake struck Acapulco, Mexico on September 25, 2002 at 18:14:48 UTC, 6 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
- September 25, 2002
- Time
- 18:14:48 UTC
- Place
- Acapulco, Mexico
- Magnitude
- 5.3 (Mw)
- Focal depth
- 6 km (4 mi)
- Tsunami
- None recorded
- Epicenter
- 16.870° N, 100.113° W
- Country
- Mexico
The toll
- Injuries
- 2
- Damage
- Limited (under about $1 million)
- Houses damaged
- Some (about 51 to 100)
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 and some buildings damaged
at Acapulco. Felt strongly at Coyuca. Also felt at
Ixtapan de la Sal and Mexico City. (reference #1053)
Other significant earthquakes nearby
Within 200 km, the deadliest first.
- July 6, 1964, Guerrero, Mexico
- July 28, 1957, Acapulco,mexico City
- October 3, 1864, Puebla,veracruz,acultzingo,acatzingo, Mexico
- March 28, 1787, San Marcos, Oaxaca, Mexico
- June 7, 1982, Guererro, Orziba, Oaxaca, Guadalupe, Mexico
- April 15, 1907, Guerrero, Mexico
- February 22, 1943, Paricutin Volcano Forms, Guerrero, Mexico
- March 14, 1979, Guerrero, Mexico
- May 11, 1962, Southern Mexico
- December 23, 1937, Ometepec, Guerrero, Mexico
- September 8, 2021, Guerrero, Mexico
- May 19, 1962, Southern Mexico
- April 25, 1989, Mexico City, Acapulco
- September 14, 1995, Guerrero, Oaxaca, Puebla, Mexico City
- January 2, 2026, Guerrero, Mexico
More
Significant earthquakes of 2002The 2000sEvery quake the USGS located in 2002Recent 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 5653.