January 8, 2009 Earthquake: La Paz, Costa Rica

Name: January 8, 2009 Earthquake: La Paz, Costa Rica
Start: 2009-01-08
Location: La Paz, Costa Rica

January 8, 2009 · M6.1 · 23 deaths · $502 million · 518 houses destroyed

A magnitude 6.1 earthquake struck La Paz, Costa Rica on January 8, 2009 at 19:21:35 UTC, 14 km below the surface. It killed 23 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: January 8, 2009
Time: 19:21:35 UTC
Place: La Paz, Costa Rica
Magnitude: 6.1 (Mw)
Focal depth: 14 km (9 mi)
Tsunami: None recorded
Epicenter: 10.165° N, 84.197° W
Country: Costa Rica

The toll

Deaths: 23
Missing: 17
Injuries: 100
Damage: $502 million
Houses destroyed: 518

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 23 people killed, 100 injured and 17 missing in central Costa Rica. Many of the casualties were caused by landslides. A total of 518 houses destroyed or damaged at Barrio Fatima de Heredia, Barrio Santa Cecilia de Aserri, Cinchona, Dulce Nombre de Alajuela, Infiernillo, Leon XIII, Los Guido, Poasito, Rio Cuarto, Sabana Redonda, Santa Rosa de Poas and Vara Blanca. Roads were damaged in the Cinchona and Vara Blanca areas and bridges were destroyed or damaged at Los Angeles, Rio Cuarto de Grecia and Bajos del Toro. Electricity was disrupted in parts of San Jose. Felt (VII) at Carrillos and Sabanilla; (VI) at Angeles, Asuncion, Curridabat, Desamparados, Grecia, Naranjo, San Francisco, San Isidro, San Josecito and San Pablo. Felt throughout Costa Rica and in southern and central Nicaragua. (reference #1053)

USD 502 million in economic loss (reference #13727)

Other significant earthquakes nearby

Within 200 km, the deadliest first.

Significant earthquakes of 2009 The 2000s Every quake the USGS located in 2009 Recent earthquakes near here This 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 8210.