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eventREF E-0070579Revised

Event record

An earthquake, measuring 6.5 on the Richter scale, hits Cape Town.

Date
4 Dec 1809
Updated
30 Sep 2019
An earthquake, measuring 6.5 on the Richter scale, hits Cape Town.

On 4 December 1809 Cape Town was hit by an earthquake measuring 6.5 on the Richter scale. It is the biggest recorded earthquake to have hit the area. The quake was caused by the Milnerton fault, running across the  Milnerton area, the Cape Flats and  right through to the city center. In 1809 there wasn’t much infrastructure for the quake to destroy, leaving only fissures on the ground. A quake of that magnitude would be devastating if it hit the area today due to increased population and infrastructure.

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How we know this

  1. 014x4 Community Cape Town 1809 earthquake anniversary [online] Available at: www.4x4community.co.za [Accessed on 15 November 2012]
  2. 02Storm Chasing 4 December 1809 - Milnerton Earthquake [online] Available at: www.stormchasing.co.za [Accessed on 15 November 2012]

Last updated · 30 Sep 2019

Cite this entry

South African History Online. (2011, December 5). An earthquake, measuring 6.5 on the Richter scale, hits Cape Town.. South African History Online. https://sahistory.org.za/ref/E-0070579

South African History Online (2011) 'An earthquake, measuring 6.5 on the Richter scale, hits Cape Town.', South African History Online, 5 December. Available at: https://sahistory.org.za/ref/E-0070579 (Accessed: 31 July 2026).

South African History Online, An earthquake, measuring 6.5 on the Richter scale, hits Cape Town. [website], https://sahistory.org.za/ref/E-0070579, (accessed 31 July 2026).

"An earthquake, measuring 6.5 on the Richter scale, hits Cape Town.." South African History Online, 5 Dec. 2011, https://sahistory.org.za/ref/E-0070579. Accessed 31 July 2026.

South African History Online. "An earthquake, measuring 6.5 on the Richter scale, hits Cape Town.." South African History Online. December 5, 2011. https://sahistory.org.za/ref/E-0070579.

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