Historic Earthquakes
Costa Rica
1991 April 22 21:56 UTC
Magnitude 7.6
Forty-seven people killed, 109
injured, 7,439 homeless and severe damage (IX) in the
Limon-Pandora area. Intensity X was observed in some zones of
liquefaction within the epicentral area. Some damage (VI) also
occurred in the San Jose-Alajuela area and landslides blocked
roads between Limon and central Costa Rica. Twenty-eight people
killed, 454 injured, 2,400 homeless and 866 buildings destroyed
(VII-VIII) in the Guabito-Almirante-Bocas del Toro area,
Panama. Slight damage (VI) also occurred at David and Puerto
Armuelles, Panama. Felt (IV) at Colon and (III) at Panama City.
Felt (III) in eastern El Salvador and (II) at San Salvador.
Also felt in Nicaragua and Honduras and on San Andres Island,
Colombia. Maximum uplift of 1.4 meters was observed near Limon
and sandblows and liquefaction caused subsidence of soils in
the Bocas del Toro area. Ground cracks also occurred in the
epicentral area. A 2-meter tsunami with maximum runup of 300
meters was observed in the Cahuita-Puerto Viejo area, Costa
Rica. Tsunamis were also reported on Bastimentos, Carenero and
Colon Islands and at Portobelo, Panama. The maximum amplitude
of the tsunami in Panama was about 0.6 m. A 7-cm tsunami
(peak-to-trough) was recorded on the tide gauge at Cristobal,
Panama. Damage in Costa Rica estimated to be about 43 million
U.S. dollars.
From
Significant Earthquakes of the World 1991.