December 30, 2009 Earthquake: Mexicali, Mexico
A magnitude 5.9 earthquake struck Mexicali, Mexico on December 30, 2009 at 18:48:57 UTC, 9 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
- December 30, 2009
- Time
- 18:48:57 UTC
- Place
- Mexicali, Mexico
- Magnitude
- 5.9 (Mw)
- Focal depth
- 9 km (6 mi)
- Tsunami
- None recorded
- Epicenter
- 32.437° N, 115.165° W
- Country
- Mexico
The toll
- Damage
- Limited (under about $1 million)
- Houses damaged
- Some (about 51 to 100) with its tsunami and other effects
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.
Some buildings damaged slightly at Mexicali. Cracks occurred in Canal Reforma near Jalapa and ground cracks were observed at Guerrero and Jalapa. Felt (VI) at Mexicali, (V) at Algodones and (IV) at San Luis Rio Colorado. Felt (VI) at Heber and Holtville; (V) at Brawley, Calexico, El Centro and Imperial; (IV) at Blythe, Calipatria, Niland, Ocotillo, San Diego, Thermal, Westmorland and Winterhaven, California. Also felt (V) at Somerton and (IV) at Chandler and Yuma, Arizona. Felt in northern Baja California and northwestern Sonora. Felt in much of southern California, southwestern Arizona and at
Las Vegas, Nevada. (reference #1053)
Other significant earthquakes nearby
Within 200 km, the deadliest first.
- May 19, 1940, California, Mexico, United States
- June 23, 1915, El Centro, California, United States
- April 4, 2010, Baja California, Mexico
- November 24, 1987, Superstition Hills, California, United States
- June 9, 1980, Northwestern Mexico
- January 1, 1927, California, Mexico, United States
- February 9, 2008, Baja California, Mexico
- February 22, 2002, Mexicali, Baja California, Mexico
- October 15, 1979, Mexicali, Imperial Valley, Mexico, California, United States
- November 29, 1852, N. Mexico
- February 24, 1892, San Diego, California, Baja California, USA, Mexico
- June 15, 2010, Ocotillo, California, United States
- December 31, 1934, Baja,imperial Valley, California, United States
- April 26, 1981, Westmorland,calipatria, California, United States
- May 27, 1862, San Diego, California, United States
More
Significant earthquakes of 2009The 2000sEvery quake the USGS located in 2009Recent 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 8812.