On this date, a singular event resulted in destruction or damage to buildings in the civil parishes of Flamengos, Ribeirinha and Conceição, in particular in the localitiesof Farrobo, Lomba and Espalhafatos.
On 31 August, at about 8:40 in the morning, the islands were raised by a violent earthquake with its epicentre centralized in the Faial-Pico Channel, at a depth of 1.6–4 kilometres (0.99–2.49 mi) and with a body wave magnitude of 5.3–5.9.
The earthquake progressed to a Mercalli Intensity of X (Extreme) in the northern part of Horta (around Conceição).
The shock resulted in the death of nine people, with 200 injured, and the general destruction of many of the heritage buildings located in that region of the city.
The greatest damage occurred in the urban parish of Conceição and rural parishes of Praia do Almoxarife (where of the 220 homes, only 16 continued to be habitable), Flamengos, Feteira and Castelo Branco, in addition to the areas between Lomba do Pilar and Salão.