1920 Xalapa earthquake
1920 CE.
Shown on the map at 19.250°, -97.133°.
A moment magnitude 6.3–6.4 earthquake affected southeastern Mexico, in the states of Puebla and Veracruz, on 3 January 1920 at 22:25 local time. A maximum Mercalli-Cancani intensity of XI–XII (Extreme) was recorded in the epicenter, between Chilchotla and Patlanalá. While estimates of the death toll vary across different sources, ranging from 648 to 4,000 fatalities, it is the second deadliest earthquake in Mexico, behind another earthquake in 1985 that killed more than 9,000 people. Many people died from mudslides that swept through settlements along the Huitzilapa and Pescado rivers. The cost of damage was estimated at US$25,000,000 (equivalent to $401,785,700 in 2025). The towns of Patlanalá, Barranca Grande, Cosautlán, Quimixtlán, Teocelo and Xalapa were severely affected, as many buildings were damaged or destroyed. The earthquake occurred in a geological region of the North American plate called the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt. There are normal faults in the volcanic belt that form because the underlying crust undergoes extension. These earthquakes can occur near highly populated towns and pose a significant hazard.
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