May 28, 2009 Earthquake: Northern, Belize, Honduras

At least 7 people killed, 40 injured and more than 130 buildings damaged or destroyed in northern Honduras, including the Islas de la Bahia. The central span of a major bridge at El Progreso was destroyed. Felt (VII) at El Progreso, Jose Santos Guardiola, La Lima, Omoa, Puerto Cortes and Utila; (VI) at French Harbor, La Ceiba, Roatan, Sambo Creek, San Pedro Sula, Sandy Bay and Tela; (V) at Arizona, Guanaja, Mateo, Santa Rosa de Copan, Siguatepeque, Tocoa and Villanueva. At least 5 buildings destroyed and 25 damaged in Belize. Felt (VI) at Dangriga; (V) at Belize City, Benque Viejo and Punta Gorda; (IV) at Belmopan, San Ignacio and San Pedro. Felt (V) at Colon and (IV) at Antiguo Cuscatlan, Mejicanos, San Miguel and San Salvador, El Salvador. Felt (VI) at Livingston and Puerto Barrios; (V) at Villa Canales; (IV) at Antigua Guatemala, Chichicastenango, Chimaltenango, Chiquimula, Coban, Fraijanes, Guatemala, Mixco and Villa Nueva, Guatemala. Felt (III) at Carmen, Chetumal, Merida and Villahermosa; (II) at Cancun and Mexico, Mexico and (II) at Havana, Cuba. Felt throughout Belize, El Salvador and Guatemala and in much of Honduras. Also felt in The Bahamas, Cayman Islands and the Virgin Islands and in parts of Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Jamaica, Mexico, Nicaragua and Panama. Seiches were reported in swimming pools at La Ceiba and Roatan, Honduras and ground cracks and possible liquefaction were observed at Monkey River, Belize. (reference #1053)

The magnitude 7.3 earthquake of 28 may 2009 impacted the entire country (Honduras). Millions of people felt the ground movement, 7 people died, hundreds lost their homes and their were huge material losses. (reference #12268)

The earthquake event was of significant magnitude and with limited consequences. At least 7 people were killed and 40 injured with damage to more than 150 buildings […] Several major civil infrastructures in the north of Honduras along the Valle de Sula (Petrochemical Terminals, Bridges, and Levees) were crippled by the earthquake events of May 28th, 2009 and will have a lasting impact on the socio-economic recovery […] Other building damage, primarily residential and small commercial, was also observed throughout the region and was not the focus of this investigation. The officials at the local municipality in Puerto Cortes, in conjunction with COPECO, conducted a detailed damage assessment survey and identified more than a thousand damaged residences (reference #14088)

USD 100 million in economic loss (reference #13727)