July 31, 2002 Earthquake: Laurel, Baru, Alanje, David, Costa Rica, Panama
A magnitude 6.5 earthquake struck Laurel, Baru, Alanje, David, Costa Rica, Panama on July 31, 2002 at 00:16:44 UTC, 10 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
- July 31, 2002
- Time
- 00:16:44 UTC
- Place
- Laurel, Baru, Alanje, David, Costa Rica, Panama
- Magnitude
- 6.5 (Mw)
- Focal depth
- 10 km (6 mi)
- Intensity
- 7 on the Modified Mercalli scale
- Tsunami
- None recorded
- Epicenter
- 7.929° N, 82.793° W
- Country
- Panama
The toll
- Injuries
- 11
- Damage
- Moderate (about $1 to $5 million)
- Houses destroyed
- Some (about 51 to 100)
- Houses damaged
- Many (101 to 1,000)
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.
At least 11 people injured, some houses
collapsed and many buildings damaged (VII) in Baru.
Buildings damaged at Alanje and David. A wharf was
damaged at Puerto Armuelles. Felt strongly in Bocas
del Toro and Chiriqui Provinces. Four people injured,
6 homes collapsed and dozens damaged at Laurel, Costa
Rica. Four people injured and some houses damaged at
Neily, Costa Rica. Felt strongly in Buenos Aires,
Corredores, Coto Brus and Golfito Cantons, Costa Rica. (reference #1053)
Other significant earthquakes nearby
Within 200 km, the deadliest first.
- April 22, 1991, Limon, Pandora, Panama, Costa Rica
- April 3, 1983, W, SE, Panama, Costa Rica
- December 5, 1941, Costa Rica-Panama
- December 25, 2003, Puerto Armuelles, Panama-Costa Rica
- March 12, 1962, Costa Rica-Panama
- July 18, 1934, Panama-Costa Rica
- November 19, 2008, Paso Canoa, David, Puerto Armuelles, Panama
- July 1, 1979, Puerto Armuelles, Panama-Costa Rica
- February 4, 2004, Chiriqui, Panama-Costa Rica
- May 26, 2008, Panama-Costa Rica
- August 5, 1854, Costa Rica-Panama
- August 7, 1854, Costa Rica-Panama
- July 26, 1962, Panama
- May 4, 2006, Boquete, Panama
- December 20, 1904, Bocas del Toro, Panama
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 5641.