December 22, 2003 Earthquake: Paso Robles,templeton,atascadero, California, United States
A magnitude 6.6 earthquake struck Paso Robles,templeton,atascadero, California, United States on December 22, 2003 at 19:15:56 UTC, 8 km below the surface. It killed 2 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
- December 22, 2003
- Time
- 19:15:56 UTC
- Place
- Paso Robles,templeton,atascadero, California, United States
- Magnitude
- 6.6 (Mw)
- Focal depth
- 8 km (5 mi)
- Intensity
- 8 on the Modified Mercalli scale
- Tsunami
- None recorded
- Epicenter
- 35.706° N, 121.102° W
- Country
- United States
The toll
- Deaths
- 2
- Injuries
- 47
- Damage
- $263 million
- Houses destroyed
- 40
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 killed and about 40 buildings collapsed or severely damaged (VIII) at Paso Robles. At least 40 people injured in the Paso Robles- Templeton area. Buildings damaged and small fires occurred at Atascadero, Cambria and Morro Bay. Road damage was sustained on State Routes 41 and 46 between State Route 1 and U.S. 101. Damage also occurred to the Templeton Road Bridge and to a bridge near Oceano. The airport at Oceano was closed due to cracks in the runway. More than 10,000 homes and businesses were without power in the Paso Robles area. Damage estimated at 300 million U.S. dollars. Felt (VIII) at Templeton; (VII) at Atascadero, Bradley, Cayucos, Grover Beach, Oceano, San Miguel and Shandon; (VI) at Arroyo Grande, Cambria, Creston, Guadalupe, Lockwood, Lompoc, Los Osos, Morro Bay, Nipomo, Pismo Beach, San Luis Obispo, San Simeon, Santa Margarita and Santa Maria; (V) at Avenal, Buellton, King City, Santa Inez, Solvang and Taft. Felt in much of central and southern California from Sacramento and Santa Rosa to San Diego and as far east as Carson City, Las Vegas and Reno, Nevada and at Bullhead City, Arizona. The maximum recorded acceleration was 0.5g horizontal motion and 0.3g vertical motion at Templeton. Landslides blocked several mountain passes in the Santa Lucia Mountains. Liquefaction was observed in the Oceano area. (reference #1053)
[…] the Magnitude 6.5 San Simeon Earthquake of December 22, 2003, caused two deaths, 47 injuries, and $263 million in damage (reference #13955)
2 deaths, 40 injured, USD 200 million in total damages (reference #1250)
USD 300 million in economic losses, 2 deaths 40 injured (reference #13727)
Other significant earthquakes nearby
Within 200 km, the deadliest first.
- October 18, 1989, Loma Prieta, California, United States
- June 29, 1925, Santa Barbara, California, United States
- January 9, 1857, San Luis Obispo, California, United States
- February 1, 1853, San Simeon, California, United States
- March 3, 1901, San Diego, California, United States
- September 28, 2004, Parkfield, San Miguel, Central, California, United States
- May 2, 1983, Central, Coalinga, California, United States
- November 4, 1927, Off Coast, S, California, United States
- July 28, 1902, Southern, California, United States
- October 8, 1865, Santa Cruz, California, United States
- April 24, 1984, Morgan Hill, Central, California, United States
- March 25, 1806, Santa Barbara, California, United States
- May 31, 1854, Southern, California, United States
- August 13, 1978, Southern, California, United States
More
Significant earthquakes of 2003The 2000sEvery quake the USGS located in 2003Recent 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 5749.