Nicaragua’s Earthquakes

Yes, there are earthquakes in Nicaragua, but generally, they are small ones. In general, the earthquakes that experienced in Nicaragua are so weak that they do not have any effect.

But there have some that have been notable earthquakes in the history of Nicaragua, devastating quakes resulting in hundreds of deaths and destruction in the millions of dollars, that include the following:

2000 Earthquake

The 2000 Nicaragua earthquake occurred at 19:30 UTC on July 6. It had a magnitude of 5.4 on the moment magnitude scale and caused 7 deaths and 42 injuries. 357 houses were destroyed and 1,130 others were damaged in the earthquake.

The earthquake was preceded by a magnitude 2.0 foreshock, occurring one minute earlier. The mainshock was followed by many aftershocks, including a magnitude 5.2 event on July 7.

1992 Earthquake

The 1992 Nicaragua earthquake occurred off the coast of Nicaragua at 6:16 p.m. on September 2. Some damage was also reported in Costa Rica. At least 116 people were killed and several more were injured. The quake was located in an active zone of stress and deformation. It created tsunamis disproportionately large for its surface wave magnitude.

The first shock of the earthquake occurred at 0:16 GMT and was followed by several strong aftershocks. The quake was most widely felt in the Chinandega and León departments of Nicaragua, though it was also felt elsewhere in Nicaragua at El Crucero, Managua and San Marcos and at San José in Costa Rica. It was the strongest seismic event to hit Nicaragua since the earthquake of 1972.

At least 116 people were killed, most being children sleeping in their beds, with more than 68 missing and over 13,500 left homeless in Nicaragua. At least 1,300 houses and 185 fishing boats were destroyed along the west coast of Nicaragua.Total damage in Nicaragua was estimated at between 20 and 30 million U.S. dollars.

1972 Earthquake

The 1972 Nicaragua earthquake occurred at 12:29:44 a.m. local time (06:29:44 UTC) on December 23 near Managua, the capital of Nicaragua. It had a moment magnitude of 6.3 and a maximum MSK intensity of IX (Destructive). The epicenter was 28 kilometers northeast of the city centre and a depth of about 10 kilometers. The earthquake caused widespread casualties among Managua’s residents: 4,000–11,000 were killed, 20,000 were injured and over 300,000 were left homeless.

1956 Earthquake

The 1956 Nicaragua earthquake occurred on October 24 at 14:42 UTC. The epicenter was located west of Masachapa, Managua Department, Nicaragua. It was an earthquake of magnitude Ms 7.3, or Mw 7.2. Building damage was reported in Managua. A study of W. Montero P. shows that this earthquake might be related to the earthquake of Nicoya Peninsula on October 5, 1950. A tsunami was triggered by the earthquake.

1931 Earthquake

The 1931 Nicaragua earthquake devastated Nicaragua’s capital city Managua on 31 March. It had a moment magnitude of 6.1 and a maximum MSK intensity of VI (Strong). Between 1,000 and 2,450 people were killed. A major fire started and destroyed thousands of structures, burning into the next day. At least 45,000 were left homeless and losses of $35 million were recorded.