The 1931 Valentine earthquake is the most powerful seismic event recorded in Texas, reaching Mercalli intensity VIII and felt across four states.
Key Facts
- Magnitude range
- 5.8–6.4 mb
- Mercalli intensity
- VIII (Severe)
- Felt radius
- 400 miles (640 km)
- Property damage (Valentine)
- $50,000–$75,000 USD (1931)
- Fatalities
- 0
- Aftershocks duration
- Until at least November 3, 1931
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
The earthquake is attributed to movement along oblique-slip faulting in West Texas, the most seismically active region in the state. The precise fault involved was not definitively identified, but the tectonic setting of the Trans-Pecos region provided the conditions for the rupture.
On August 16, 1931, a magnitude 5.8–6.4 earthquake struck near Valentine, Texas, in the early morning hours. It registered a maximum Mercalli intensity of VIII and was accompanied by several foreshocks and aftershocks, with aftershock activity continuing until at least November 3, 1931.
The earthquake caused no fatalities, though several people sustained minor injuries. Buildings and homes in Valentine suffered an estimated $50,000–$75,000 in damage. Ground shaking was felt across four U.S. states and into northern Mexico, and the event remains the strongest earthquake ever documented in Texas.
Human Cost
Each dot represents approximately 10,000 deaths. Total estimated: 0 (earthquake)