December 10, 1963 Eruption of Irazu
Irazu in Costa Rica erupted on December 10, 1963 with a Volcanic Explosivity Index of 3. The eruption killed 40 people.
Where it erupted
Irazu, Costa Rica, with its other significant eruptions.
The eruption
- Date
- December 10, 1963
- Volcano
- Irazu, stratovolcano
- Country
- Costa Rica
- Volcanic Explosivity Index
- 3, moderate to large (eruption column 3 to 15 km)
- Killed by
- Mudflows and lahars; Tephra (ash, bombs, lapilli, steam blasts)
- Location
- 9.979° N, 83.852° W
The toll
- Deaths
- 40
- Injuries
- Few (about 1 to 50)
- Damage
- Moderate (about $1 to $5 million)
- Houses destroyed
- 400
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.
Waldron gives number killed in mudflows as >20. Other estimates range from "only a few" to 30. 2 killed and 10 injured by a shower of ash and stones on the crater rim in mid-April. 5 died and many wounded in April and Aug 1964. Stine and Banks report that mudflows killing 20 persons and destroying many structures along the Rio Chiquito were secondary. Over a 2-year period 46 mudflows occurred along the Rio Reventado valley; one killed at least 20 persons and destroyed 400 houses and some factories. (reference #9675)
Other significant eruptions of Irazu
More
Every eruption in 1963The 1900sIrazuEarthquakes near IrazuThis day in weather history
Sources
Volcanoes and significant eruptions 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. Volcano numbers are the Smithsonian Institution’s Global Volcanism Program’s. NCEI event 3821.