January 25, 1987 Eruption of Pacaya
Pacaya in Guatemala erupted on January 25, 1987 with a Volcanic Explosivity Index of 3.
Where it erupted
Pacaya, Guatemala, with its other significant eruptions.
The eruption
The toll
- Injuries
- 15
- Damage
- Limited (under about $1 million)
- Houses destroyed
- 63
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.
The explosion, at about 1730 [25 January 1987], ejected a column that rose to 8 km altitude and was blown south by 70 km/hour winds. Many houses in El Caracol (3 km SW of the vent), El Patrocinio (3.5 km W), and Los Pocitos (6 km SSE) were hit by 25-cm blocks... The press reported at least 15 injuries (but only one that required hospitalization) and as many as 3,000 evacuees. The next day the head of the National Emergency Committee said that 600 people remained evacuated, 63 homes were damaged, and many cattle and pigs had been killed. As of mid-February, typical Strombolian activity had resumed, and no additional strong explosions had been reported. (reference #2432)
Other significant eruptions of Pacaya
More
Every eruption in 1987The 1900sPacayaEarthquakes near PacayaThis 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 5528.